When Good Ponies Go Bad
by veryoriginalponyname
Summary: When difficult financial times befall the mane six ponies, they turn to an unthinkable option to make things right again. An option that will challenge their very notion of morality. Not a prostitution story. AU. Had to rewrite next chapter, that's why it's taking so long. Apologies, it'll be up soon!
1. The Troubles Begin

_**Welcome everybody (or everypony, whichever you prefer) to my first little fanfic. Hopefully you all don't take my** **pathetic excuse for a pen name as any indication of my writing skills (heh heh, I'm nervous as hell in case you didn't notice). Just want to get a few things out of the way before we get started:**_

**_This is a story that was just floating around in my noggin for so that after a while I just had to get it out there for others to see. It's a story that may be a little on the crazy side (then again, there's a lot of crazy MLP fanfiction out there, mine's probably mild by comparison), but it's something I really wanted to see happen, so i decided I might as well throw it out there and see how it fares with the fanfic reading public. That's sort of my thing as a fanfic writer, I think: I want to write about the kinds of things I'd like to see, and hopefully there will be other's out there who will share that interest._**

**_I may alter a few small details of the MLP universe for the sake of the story (AU fic, nothing too major), hopefully that's okay with ya's all. That said, let's get this thing going. I hope you all enjoy..._**

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**This fanfic is rated M for strong violence and language. Not Cupcakes style violence, it's more action style violence, Sopranos style violence. (Sopranos style violence in an MLP fic? If that doesn't spark your interest, I don't know what will)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own MLP: FIM. It's property of The Hub and Hasbro.**

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**Chapter One: **

**The Troubles Begin**

Everypony has a breaking point. Everypony has that proverbial line in the sand that once crossed, can lead one to do things that nopony else could've ever expected of that pony. When the line as been crossed, when life becomes too much, when the whole world seems to be crashing down around them and nopony else seems to care, when everything seems set against them, there is no limit to just how they will go to try and set things right. No matter what one may know about a certain pony, could be the nicest, sweetest pony in existence, the darkest of circumstances can push them to do the darkest of deeds.

Everypony... everypony has a breaking point.

The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony are no exception to that rule. Six simple ponies, who led simple lives, who had greatness thrust upon them when they least expected it, who came to represent everything good and pure about the world of Equestria, who had endured trials and hardships that lesser ponies would've easily faltered in the face of... are not infallible, as most would probably believe. They too, have that proverbial line in the sand, and once it has been crossed, even they can turn to the darkest recesses of their minds, that small area in the backs of their heads where they store all those bad, negative thoughts, those thoughts that they don't even dare to bring up, and being to consider them. They contemplate methods that they never would've dreamed of attempting in a more proper state of mind, all in the name of making things right again.

Everypony has a breaking point, a proverbial line in the sand; and for the six Elements of Harmony, those lines were about to be crossed...

* * *

Twilight Sparkle stood rooted to the spot, staring at the cataclysm of destruction that lay before her. Next to her stood her good friend and number one assistant, Spike the baby dragon. He was holding onto her, shaking slightly, staring wide-eyed at what his best friend and guardian was staring at.

Twilight was devastated. Not confused or scared, she had already experienced those feelings. She was sure anger would come eventually. But for now, she was simply devastated. Before her laid the ruins of the Ponyville Library, which was also her home and sanctuary.

It had all happened so fast, so suddenly. No pony could've predicted it. No pony could've prevented it.

It had been a typical scenario for the young unicorn. She had assumed the usual position of having her face buried deep into one of her many favorite books: a rather interesting tome on Equestria's fascinating history. Behind her, Spike had been reclining on a comfortable piece of furniture set up against the back wall of the library. He was bored. He had no tasks set before him at the moment. Twilight had not given him anything to do for a long while. He had been so desperate for some sort of antidote to his boredom that he found himself drumming his long-clawed fingers against the wooden arm-rests on the sides of the couch he was on. It created a sound that he found rather amusing, and he stepped it up a little bit, eventually making up his own little musical number. He had eventually gotten so into it that he was completely oblivious to the lavender unicorn growing steadily more annoyed behind him.

"Spike, will knock that off? It's really distracting!" Twilight had snapped at him, not knowing just how close that statement had been to being the last thing she would ever say to him.

Spike just rolled his eyes in annoyance and returned to his sulking position on the couch. He respected Twilight tremendously, but sometimes she could be a real -for lack of a better term- beyotch. Of course Spike would never call her that to her face, but it was nice to be able to keep that word for her in his head. Hopefully she wasn't studying up on any mind-reading spells at that moment, or he'd be in some real hot water with her.

Twilight turned back to her book and scanned for her place. She had been at the start of a particularly interesting chapter on the construction of Canterlot. She resumed reading, now enjoying the complete and total silence that surrounded her. It was only a minute later when that silence was shattered...

CRRRRRAAAAAASH!

Twilight spun around to see what appeared to be some large wooden object smashing through the wall of her beloved library. She watched in horror as bookshelves were toppling left and right, their contents being flung all over the room. A particularly large chunk of wood came flying directly at her. Thinking quickly, she hit the object with a blast of magic from her horn, sending it careening past her. She was too worried about trying to defend herself and Spike to be in shock at that moment. More and more shelves toppled over. The floor above them began to give way in certain areas, and came crashing down.

Twilight scanned the collapsing scenery for her dragon friend, hoping to Celestia that he was alright. It was when she finally noticed the over-turned couch that he had been occupying just moments ago, and saw the purple and green tip of his tail sticking out from under it that the most horrifying thought of all passed through her mind:

_He's gone._

"Spike!" She had cried out, receiving no answer.

Using her magic, she levitated the couch off of her friend, tears streaming down her face. When she saw his lifeless form laying face down on the wooden floor, she felt that her horrible thought just moments ago had been confirmed. Or... at least she did until she heard a small moan come from him and saw a small twitch. She quickly trotted over to her friend and nudged him up. Spike slowly rose to his feet and and gave and dazed shake of his head. He showed no real physical injuries aside from a few small bruises.

"Wh- what happened?" He moaned.

Twilight, too overflowed with relief to answer, simply threw her forelegs around him and held him tight.

_Extra thick scales! _She thought to herself. _He has extra thick scales!_

Now, the two stood outside, staring at the carnage before them. The library still collapsing bit by bit, no longer safe to be inside of. A large gaping hole in the side revealed what was left of the interior, with the large overturned cart laying in the center of it all. Twilight wrapped a foreleg around her young assistant and held him tightly against her. The feeling of his heart beating through his chest helped her to relax a bit. He was alive. He was definitely alive.

But her home, her beautiful library, was simply no more. She was no expert in architecture, but she knew extensive damage when she saw it, and the damage that she saw before her was, beyond any shadow of a doubt... extensive; and extensive always meant one thing for sure: costly. There wasn't a spell Twilight knew that could repair destruction this devastating. This place would have to be repaired the earth pony way.

By this point, a crowd of ponies had gathered around the destruction, all murmuring to themselves and each other. One of them noticed the two occupants of the destroyed building and trotted over to them.

"Are you both okay?" She asked exasperated.

"Y-yeah." Twilight answered, being snapped back into reality. "Wh-what happened?"

"I saw the whole thing!" Another pony exclaimed as she approached the two. "This idiot stallion came speeding down the road here pulling a cart full of junk behind him. I suppose he could've been drunk, or maybe just crazy; whatever the case, he was speeding like a maniac down the road and heading right for you. When he realized was about to crash, he tried to turn and managed to avoid your home himself. But he wasn't able to keep the cart from crashing into you! I thought for sure there would be casualties! I'm glad to see that I was wrong!"

Twilight needed a moment to take that all in. So it was some crazy, idiot stallion who had severely damaged her home and nearly taken the life of one of her best friends. Now the devastation she had been feeling was fading away, replaced by that feeling of anger that she had known was on its way. If what this pony had told her was true, then this stallion should be the one paying for the repairs, not her.

"Where is he?" Twilight asked, trying to hide the rage in her voice.

"The stallion?" The other pony responded. "H-he ran for it. He headed off in the direction of the Everfree forest. We tried to keep track of him, but he was too quick. I remember fairly well what he looked like. I'll be sure to tell the police ponies every detail, and I'm sure they'll catch him before too long."

Twilight said nothing. She had just had the disgusting feeling that the world had just dumped all over her right then and there. She had just lost her home, her place of business, it was damaged almost beyond repair, and the one responsible for it all was probably long gone. Sure, the police could _try _to find him, but it all felt like in the end it would be a waste of time. This stallion was probably long gone by now. The Everfree forest was huge, and extremely dangerous. He could be dead by now for all she knew, and with him would die any chance of getting her home repaired anytime soon.

A librarians salary wasn't anything to brag about. Twilight made enough bits to keep Spike and herself well provided for, but only just. Accidents like this were certainly not factored into her daily budget. If indeed this stallion was never found, then it was going to be a long time indeed before Twilight Sparkle would see her home -which had always provided her with her beloved books, her only tools of escaping from the dullness of day to day life- repaired.

She looked down at her dragon friend, who was now sobbing lightly into her side. His warm tears leaking onto her hide provided a little bit of comfort for her, but not much. Nothing was going to giver her much comfort for a long time. As if to further punctuate that point, the library shifted to the side a bit, then collapsed completely with a deafening crash; and that was that.

Twilight Sparkle didn't know it at the time, but her line in the sand had been crossed.

* * *

Fluttershy sat quietly in the waiting room of Ponyville's animal clinic. She stared intently at the door that separated her from her beloved pet rabbit, Angel. Though she was as quiet as ever on the outside, she was screaming loudly on the inside. Her mind was spinning with horrible thoughts of just what it was that had caused her pet to become so sick.

Fluttershy was good with animals. It was, after all, her specialty. She took care of many of them, and always knew how to keep them all safe and happy. She had dealt with sickness before; mostly stomach aches or colds. She alway knew just what to do in situations like those. But this new development with Angel... this was something she had never seen before. He wasn't eating; he was much less active; and there were times where he just downright seemed to be in a lot of pain. Fluttershy had at first assumed this was some kind of flu. She didn't worry too much at first. She gave him the usual medication and hoped that his condition would quickly be brought under control. But Angel didn't improve. In fact, he got worse. Much worse.

Now fearing greatly for the well-being of her pet, Fluttershy had decided to take him to the Ponyville animal clinic, hoping that ponies who were better educated than she was in matters such as these could pinpoint just what it was that was ailing her precious rabbit.

She sat there in that cold, empty waiting room, her mind racing through a million possible illnesses that could possibly have taken hold of Angel. One in particular terrified her above all else.

_The 'C' word. _She thought to herself. _Can rabbits even get that? I hope not. Oh, please let it not be that. _

The door suddenly swung open, and a veterinarian pony stepped out and gazed at Fluttershy. Her expression was grim. Very grim.

"Miss Fluttershy?" She addressed the yellow pegasus. "Will you come back here with me please? There's something we need to discuss about your rabbit."

"Um, okay," Fluttershy squeaked nervously.

She slid out of her chair and followed the nurse through the door. It somehow felt even colder on the other side. The vet led Fluttershy through the long, narrow hallway. They passed several rooms that contained whimpering young dogs, cats and various other animals being worked on by other animal doctors. It torture for Fluttershy to see so many animals in this kind of pain. She felt tears coming quickly. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

Eventually they came to a small white room with a small padded table up against one of the walls. On it was a very disheveled looking Angel. He was laying on his side, breathing slowly yet steadily, his long ears twitching once in a while. The vet pony turned to face Fluttershy, who looked like she was about to pass out. The vet tried to find the proper words to explain the situation, but it was Fluttershy who spoke up first.

"Is- is he okay? What's wrong with my Angel?"

The vet exhaled slowly, then began.

"I'm afraid your rabbit is suffering from a very serious medical condition known as Bloat. Have you heard of it?" Fluttershy went pale, and the vet took that as a sign that she _had_ heard of this particular condition. "It's fairly common with any domesticated animals, mostly dogs, but any common house pet can get it. What it basically involves is the stomach becoming overstretched and twisted by excessive gas content. As I said earlier, it is fairly common, but it's also always very fatal."

That word sent just about sent Fluttershy into a fit of panic. Her mouth went dry as her breathing intensified and she began to shiver uncontrollably. She had so many questions on her mind at that moment. The first one that managed to make it past her lips was this:

"W-was it something I did?" Her voice was breaking.

"Well, that's hard to say," the vet answered. "It can be caused by a number of things: a dysfunction between the esophagus and the stomach; an obstruction of outflow through the pylorus. Those kinds of things can be caused by overfeeding, a heavy consumption of water in a small period of time, feeding him certain foods that cause the stomach to expand; among various other things."

Fluttershy was speechless. As far as she knew she had never fed or watered him more than she thought was necessary. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was all somehow her fault. The vet continued.

"Now, I have some good news and bad news for you. I'll start with the good news: There is a fairly standard operation that can be performed that can fix this problem." The vet noticed the sudden spark of light in Fluttershy's face when she said this. She cringed a bit knowing what she would have to say next. "The bad news is that this procedure is by no means cheap. Average cost for something like this could be roughly around thirty to forty thousand bits."

Fluttershy felt the fear and despair return to her instantly. There was no way, absolutely no way she could afford that at this time. With the pitiful salary she made from her animal control business, it would be at least a year, possibly two before she could even come close to being able to shell out that amount of bits. She felt helpless, utterly helpless to save her little Angel now.

"I- I don't think I can afford that at this time," She said in a sad whisper.

The vet nodded grimly.

"Well, if that's the case, then there is a significantly cheaper option." She explained. "I imagine you don't want him to suffer like this, so we could always... consider... putting him out of his misery. Quickly and humanely."

Upon hearing that, Fluttershy lost it. She completely abandoned her typical shy demeanor and all but flipped out at the vet.

"NO!" She screamed. "NOT MY ANGEL! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE MY ANGEL! PLEASE JUST LET ME THINK OF SOMETHING! I'LL DO WHAT I CAN TO AFFORD THE OPERATION! JUST PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY ANGEL!"

The vet was not at all shocked by Fluttershy's outburst. That was a common reaction by ponies who didn't want to give up on their beloved pets, and this vet had experienced it many many times. Though she had to admit, this particular pegasus had not seemed much like the violent outburst type.

"Alright then, I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll write you a script for Famotidine. You can pick it up at any local pharmacy. Give him two tablets every night for the next couple of weeks. It should keep the bloating under control for a decent period of time, though it won't stop it completely. You can use that time to think about what you want to do with Angel. I'm sorry, but that's the best I can do for you right now."

Fluttershy, still breathing heavily from her outburst, began to relax a bit. At least now she had a little more time. That thought managed to be a small comfort to her. A small _small _comfort.

"Okay." was all she managed to get out.

The vet nodded and hung her head a bit.

"I am truly sorry, Miss Fluttershy," she said sincerely. "These things just happen sometimes."

...

Fluttershy walked slowly towards her home, carrying her dear pet rabbit on her back. She wanted to get him home before she went to the pharmacy to pick up his prescription. She could feel the soft, steady beating of Angles heart against her back, and with each beat, she felt it would be the last one she would feel. As she slowly trotted along the dusty dirt path towards her home, her head hanging low, she began to feel a new emotion surging through her. An emotion she didn't feel too often at all: anger. Anger directed at the clueless morons back at the animal clinic.

_These things just happen sometimes. _Was that all they could say about situations like these? When innocent lives were on the line? And then they demand a ridiculously large sum of bits from you to make things right again? Fluttershy was infuriated, absolutely infuriated. It couldn't end like this. She wasn't going to allow it to end like this. She had been through too much with this rabbit for him to just fade away like this while she could do nothing about it simply because she couldn't afford it. She would not accept defeat as easily as those pathetic animal doctors would. She was an Element of Harmony, and they never gave up without a fight.

"I won't lose you, Angel," she said to him as confidently as she could muster. "I'll do anything to save you. _Anything." _

Her delicately drawn line in the sand had just been crossed.

* * *

Rarity gaped in abject horror at the devastating bombshell that had just been dropped on her. She was standing in the middle of Carousel Boutique, her home and place of business. In front of her stood an agent pony of the well know fashionista Photo Finish, who had alway been a loyal client of the fashion unicorn. Rarity had always been more than happy and willing to provide her with some of her fresh new clothing designs.

This particular job she had recently been issued was by far the most exciting she had received in a long time. It was also the most important. Rarity had been challenged with creating a series of her boldest new designs for Miss Finish's fall lineup. It was a job most fashion ponies would give their left hooves to get a chance at attempting, and as fate would have it, it was bestowed most graciously upon Rarity. She had slaved away for weeks on sketching out her newest ideas, which she honestly felt were the boldest, most creative and most design-wise spectacular ideas she had ever had. It was with these designs that she felt she could possibly step up into the higher ranks of fashionistas.

So you can imagine her horror at what she had just been told.

"I- I don't believe it," she stammered. "She didn't like _any _of my designs? Not a single one?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Rarity," the agent pony replied. Normally, Rarity would've been told this in a letter, but since this agent happened to be in Ponyville at the time, she figured it was better to tell her in person rather than burden Miss Finish with having to write the letter herself. "This market is becoming more and more competitive these days, and none of your designs had that certain 'edge' that we were looking for. The kind of edge that our competitors are succeeding in capturing."

Edge? It was _edge_ they were looking for? Because Rarity hadn't exactly been shooting for that when she began work on her designs. They hadn't really been specific with what they wanted, but Rarity didn't mind that. It gave her an excuse to use her imagination; and Rarity did feel strongly that these designs were among some of her most imaginative. They were, in her honest opinion, bold, and weren't bold and edgy basically in the same category?

Now, Rarity had dealt with rejection before. Not often, but enough that she knew the feeling and wasn't too put-off by it. But this particular failure, really struck her at her core. Hard times had hit Carousel Boutique. She simply wasn't doing the amount of business she had hoped to be doing. The situation was becoming quite dire now. She hadn't made a decent transaction in months, and it was getting to the point where being able to provide for herself and her sister Sweetie Belle was becoming harder and harder to do.

When she had been given the task of providing her design ideas for Photo Finish's fall line up, she hed been utterly relentless in creating what she believed to be her most creative designs to date. She worked non-stop, day and night, leaving herself virtually no time to be with her friends, or take part in any of the other leisure activities she enjoyed so much. She had basically isolated herself from the world around her. She obsessed over her designs, spent hours crafting out even the smallest details. She had truly believed that these designs would be her greatest accomplishment, and that they would finally put her back on track.

It had been like torture after she had mailed her designs out for approval, waiting to hear what Photo Finish would have to say, and now, after almost a week of unbearable suspense, she had been rejected. Everything she had worked so hard over, had absolutely slaved over, had been rejected, and it took every fiber of Rarity's being to keep from breaking down right then and there in front of that agent pony.

"Well, I- I just... I've been..." Rarity stammered, her voice close to breaking. "I- I'm going through a bit of a difficult period right now. I- I was hoping this would be the end of it, but- but... quite frankly, darling, you've simply blown my mind! I- I don't know what to say!"

The agent let out a labored sigh and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rarity, I really am, but Photo Finish knows what she likes and dislikes, and I'm afraid she just didn't like what you had to offer," she told the devastated unicorn.

Rarity began to feel herself lose it. Her breathing became more rapid, and she could feel her eyes begin to sting with tears. She couldn't let this be the end of it. She couldn't just accept rejection of this magnitude.

"Well, p-perhaps if you give me more time! Another week or so maybe!" She said hysterically. "I- I can come up with more designs! Better designs! I swear I can! If you just give me another chance, please! I swear I can do better!"

The agent shook her head again.

"I'm sorry, but we can't risk it," She said grimly. "We have a deadline, after all, and I don't think that giving you another week to come up with more designs that... I don't believe would show any real improvement would be a wise move on our part. I'm afraid we'll have to take our business elsewhere."

Now, Rarity snapped. She abandoned all proper ladylike mannerism and burst out crying.

"NO! NO, PLEASE! YOU MUST GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE! I BEG YOU! PLEASE, I'M DESPERATE! I HAVE A LITTLE SISTER I NEED TO PROVIDE FOR! PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER-"

"Miss Rarity, PLEASE!" The agent cried out suddenly, silencing the now whimpering unicorn. "I'm sorry that things have been difficult for you, I really am, but Miss Finish has her own problems to worry about right now. We just can't afford to add your own problems to our list. Now, I really must be going. I need to get back to Manehatten to find out what Miss Finish wants to do next." The agent slowly turned from Rarity and made for the exit. When she reached it, she gave a glance back at the now teary-eyed fashionista, her mouth stammering silently. "Good day, Miss Rarity. I hope things for you take a turn for the better in the near future." And with that, she left.

Rarity slowly collapsed onto the floor. She buried her face into her forehooves and began to weep bitterly. It was a good thing Sweetie Belle wasn't here to see this, because she didn't think her little sister would be able to handle it.

So this was it. After years of generously providing her fellow ponies with the most beautiful dresses she could create, this was where she had ended up: low on bits, low on customers, and worst of all, low on confidence. Yes, if there was one thing that bothered her more than the fact that she was close to going broke, it was the fact that her skills and designing were fading, that she was losing her touch.

How was she going to explain this to her sister? How would she break the news that they were dangerously close to living in the streets? That she wouldn't be able to pay for her education? That... there was a good chance that she would be taken from her? That she would most likely be sent to a foster home? She couldn't allow that. She wouldn't allow that. She wouldn't allow her precious Sweetie to be taken from her. There was nopony in all of Equestria who she would've been better off with, and Rarity truly believed that.

"What am I going to do?" Rarity whimpered to herself.

She laid there on the cold hard floor of Carousel Boutique, sobbing endlessly, completely unaware of the fact that her elegant and beautifully drawn line in the sand had been crossed.

* * *

Applejack slowly trotted through the charcoal and ashen remains of her apple orchard in Sweet Apple Acres. Her brother Big Macintosh trotted alongside her, and together they took in the horrible sight before them. It was gone. All gone. Sweet Apple Acres was now nothing more than a pile of smoldering ruins. It had been reduced completely to burnt trees and piles of ash, smoke still wafting from the charcoal twigs, and faintly glowing cinders floating carelessly through the air.

It had to be an accident, right? Maybe a discarded piece of glass that had captured one of the suns rays at just the right angle to set off a spark? Or maybe there had been a lighting storm the night before and one of the apple trees had been struck? There was no reason to doubt that it had been an accident. At least, there wasn't until they had discovered the empty overturned gas can and burnt matches lying at the edge of the orchard.

It had been a cruel joke. A sick prank most likely enacted by some out of town colt punks. Someponies took a look at an entire apple orchard, knew that it was somepony's entire livelihood, and to just decided to burn it all down for their own amusement.

Applejack's eyes began to well up with tears as she saw just how much she and her family had truly lost. Not a single tree had gone untouched by the flames. The soft ash was still warm under her hooves. A single tear slid down her cheek and fell to the ground, turning the ash into a small dab of mud. Big Mac stepped away from his sister. He shuffled of hoof around in the embers beneath him, and exhaled through is nostrils.

"Eeyup, they torched it good," he said in his usual drawl, though there was a much more pronounced element of sadness. He turned back to his sister, his expression showing utter defeat. "Ain't goin' be no apple harvest this year, AJ. Prob'ly not fer a few years."

Applejack let that brutal statement sink in. No harvest meant no possible way of making an income. One year alone of no income would definitely be problematic. But a few years of no income? How long would it take exactly to fix everything? Clearing out all the debris, replanting all the apple trees, waiting for them to grow again? That could all take several years! There was no other way of putting it that this: The Apple family was sca-rewed.

Behind her, Applejack her the approaching hoofsteps of more of her family members. She turned and saw her sister Apple Bloom trotting up to her through the ruins, the piles of ash nearly reaching up to her belly. Next to her was Granny Smith, hobbling along in her walker. Her already ancient face looked even older than ever. She took in the sad sight and exhaled slowly. To see the farm that had been in her family for generations reduced to this... was almost to much for her delicate old heart. Apple Bloom, on the other hand, looked much more confused and scared rather than filled with grief. Applejack noticed that instantly, and turned to her brother.

"Ya oughta take Apple Bloom back on inside the house," she told him. "She don't need ta see this."

Big Mac just nodded and started for the scared little filly.

"C'mon, lil' lady, let's go back on home," he said to her gently.

Applejack watched the two head back for their home, which had mercifully been spared of the flames, due in no small part to the barking of the Apple family's pet dog Winona. If it hadn't been for here nonstop yapping at a window overlooking the orchard during the late hours of night, the fire surely would've spread to the house, possibly taking the whole family with it. AJ would thank that dog every day for the rest of her life.

Still, it was only a small comfort to know that they still had a house. After all, with no means to sustain themselves, how long would it be before they would have to give their house up? How long would it be before they were forced into homelessness, something which Granny Smith, in her old age, wouldn't last a week in?

AJ continued to gaze across the vast expanse of Sweet Apple Acres. Nothing had survived... nothing. Well, almost nothing. A few red lumps protruding through the ash marked the locations of a few lucky apples. Still, there were nowhere near enough to keep the family going for too long. Applejack's eyes then fell upon something that made her heart sink even lower than it already was: the remains of the very first apple tree she ever bucked on Sweet Apple Acres.

She remembered that day so well. She had miscalculated exactly where it was she was supposed to position herself and had been a little to close to the tree. When she reared forward and bucked, it felt as though her rear legs had ended up in her neck. But she wasn't too badly hurt, and she had produced a hard enough buck that several apples had tumbled from the tree. Overall, it had been a pretty successful first apple bucking, and Applejack looked back on it fondly.

Now, though, that tree was nothing more than blackened, leafless mess. It looked as though the slightest touch would cause it to burst into dusty ash. AJ lowered herself to the charred ground and began to cry harder than ever. She laid there alone for a while until she was once again joined by her brother, who gently placed a hoof on her back and rubbed it soothingly.

"Don't fret now, sis," he said to her calmly. "We'll think of somethin'. Ah know we will."

Applejack hadn't heard a word he said. Her mind was spinning around two thoughts at that time: Who were the punks responsible for this? And what would she do to them if she ever got her hooves on them?

Her line in the sand, which had been drawn through years of honest hard work, had just been crossed.

* * *

Rainbow Dash roared in frustration as she burst through the front door of her cloud castle. She barreled through the white fluffy hallway all the way to her room. She gave another dragon-like roar and went to work destroying everything in sight, namely anything that happened to bear a Wonderbolts logo on it. Posters, autographed pictures action figures, you name it, it got trashed. Posters were torn in two, pictures smashed out of their frames and shredded to bits, action figures having their heads bit off and thrown against the soft cloud wall. It was chaos, and Dash didn't care if anyone saw. She didn't care if all of Equestria knew how pissed off she was.

Another year had come, and with it, another chance for Dash to tryout for her beloved Wonderbolts. Another tryout... had ended in disappointment. But this one really hit the young pegasus where it hurt.

Now failing to become a member of the Wonderbolts was something Dash had dealt with numerous times in the past. Even though it had happened so often, she never really did get used to the pain of rejection. It was something that just really ripped her apart and usually kept her from racing or pranking or doing any of the things she normally enjoyed doing for a few weeks. But, as mentioned earlier, this one really got to her. Not only had she failed again, but this time she had nothing to fall back on.

So confident had Rainbow Dash been that this year would be her year, that she had quit her job on the weather team the day before, and it hadn't exactly been on good terms either. She hated that job; hated it with a passion. She hated how slow it was, how dull it was, and most of all, she hated mindless, dickless boss, who had done nothing but scream and yell at her during her whole work days, and it was always over the fact that she was simply so independent and cocky. He seemed to hate her for being who she was.

So, when Dash became absolutely positive that she would nail her tryout this year, and be set for life as a highly paid member of the Wonderbolts, she decided she had had enough of her pathetic job of moving clouds around. She approached her boss, used language more colorful than her mane to describe what she thought of him, then wished him good luck in finding another Pegasus who would be willing to put up with his crap, and quit, thinking very highly of herself and wishing she had done that sooner.

Then the tryouts came, and same thing happened to her that happened every year: she choked. Now, here she was, standing in the middle of her room, screaming like a maniac, standing amongst a pile of destroyed Wonderbolts memorabilia, nowhere closer to joining the ranks of her heroes, and now without a job.

Why? Why hadn't she just waited until after tryouts to find out if she made it or not and _then _tell her boss off? Well,once again her ego had gotten the better of her, and now she was really paying for it. Still, in spite of the fact that she really had nopony to blame but herself for this current situation, she still found herself unable to do that. Instead her rage was directed at the ponies she had once idolized.

"WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" She roared so loudly that the clouds in front of her swirled a bit.

She felt it was a fair question. Exactly what more did she have to prove to them? They had seen how skilled she was in the past. She had performed the Sonic Rainboom, and even managed to save their million bit asses in the process. What the hay else did they want from her?

As far as Dash was concerned at that moment, the Wonderbolts were dead to her. Her life had hit an all time low. Nothing was going to bring her up from this slump. She had dug herself into a deep hole, and was going to have one hay of time pulling herself out of it. Nopony seemed to care either. Nopony was going to extend a hoof to help her out. Not even her friends. Why did Dash feel that way? That not even her friends could help her? She couldn't shake this strange feeling that they were all having problems of their own. She couldn't explain why she felt that way. She just did. Why else wouldn't they have come to cheer her on for this years tryouts?

As far as Dash was concerned, her line in the sand had not only been crossed... it had been yelled at, cussed at, spat on, shat on, raped, and then crossed.

* * *

Pinkie Pie, the happiest pony in Ponyville, possibly in all of Equestria, wiped the tears from her eyes as she watched Mr. Cake write down the agonizingly large amount of bits on a check, then slowly headed for the post office to mail it. Before he stepped out, he turned to Pinkie and tried to give her a comforting smile. But it did nothing for her, so he turned away and made off.

Pinkie looked terrible. Her normally poofy mane was now hanging low to the floor of Sugarcube Corner. Her eyes were puffy and red with the all the crying she had done in the past few days.

At least today it was finally over. The deed had finally been done. The check for seven hundred thousand bits was finally being sent to the meanies who couldn't just learn to forgive and forget. Still, it was going to be a long time before the always smiling party pony would smile again. She looked over to Mrs. Cake, who had been watching her with a worried expression. Pinkie couldn't bear to look her in the eye.

"It's all my fault," she sobbed.

"Oh no, deary," Mrs Cake said kindly in an effort to ease Pinkie's sweet little heart. "It wasn't your fault. It was just a little accident. It could've happened to anypony. Oh, please don't cry, sweetheart!" Mrs. Cake moved towards Pinkie Pie so she could comfort her.

But Pinkie ran past her and made her way upstairs to her room, where she locked herself in, leapt into her bed, buried her face in her pillow and cried harder than she ever had before in her life. Mrs. Cake decided it was best to just leave her alone for a while. She prayed to Celestia that Pinkie would be okay.

But Pinkie was far from okay, she was downright devastated (an emotion that unbeknownst to her, a lot of her friends were going through as well). She couldn't believe what she had done. How could it have happened? She had always been so careful. She never in a million years would've thought that a simple mistake on her part would lead to something as horrible as what was just brought upon Sugarcube Corner.

It hadn't been anything too difficult she had been asked to do. An order had been placed for a wedding cake for some bigshot pony's son. What fun! Pinkie loved doing wedding cakes! They were her second most favorite thing to bake next to cupcakes. They didn't ask for anything too crazy, though. Just a standard three layer vanilla frosting cake. Pinkie was a bit disappointed by that since she loved a challenge. But still, it was no biggie. nothing could keep this crazy party pony down... or at least that was what she always believed.

Now, Pinkie Pie was known for having a bit of an 'overactive mind' to put it lightly. Her head was always buzzing with a million thoughts at once, most notably ideas for parties and such. But no matter how crazy her thoughts could be, she always _always _kept her mind on what she was doing when she was baking. She knew just how delicate her job was. After all, it took a special kind of pony to craft the kinds of delicacies that she was so well known for.

So you can imagine her shock when a week later a letter came in the mail stating that Sugarcube Corner was facing a massive lawsuit filed by the bigshot pony when every guest who had cake at his sons wedding suffered from a rather nasty case of food poisoning.

Not wanting to get sucked into a massive courtroom battle, Mr. and Mrs. Cake had simply agreed to settle and just pay up the seven hundred thousand bits that had been demanded of them.

It was an event that absolutely crushed Pinkie for a couple of reasons. First, it shattered reputation as a good baker. After the lawsuit had been filed, Pinkie went over the routine she had undertaken when baking the cake over and over in her head, trying to pinpoint exactly where it was she could've messed up. Had she not left it in the oven long enough? Had her overactive mind gotten the better of her and caused her to accidentally mix up a couple ingredients? She couldn't figure it out. Maybe she just wasn't as good as she thought she was.

But reason for why she was so crushed was even worse. She felt that she had just betrayed Mr. and Mrs. Cake in some way. Two of the nicest pony's she had ever met, who not only given her a job doing what she loved, but had also given her a home, a new sanctuary away from that dreaded rock farm she grew up on. But now her stupidity had just cost them a fortune in bits. Sugarcube Corner wasn't some multi-million bit industry, it was just a humble little bakery in the humble little town of Ponyville. There was no other place like it in all of Equestria; and now there was a good chance that it was finished. It would be a long time before they could make back all that they had lost.

As Pinkie's crying began to fade, and she began to let herself drift into sleep as this horrid day came to an end, she wished with all her might that she could do something to make things better for her kindly benefactors. She just wanted to do something. Anything. _Anything. _

Her line in the sand, which had been so lightly drawn that it was almost non-existent, had been crossed.

* * *

Everypony has a breaking point, and when that point is reached, there's no limit to what evil that pony can be capable of.

* * *

_**Wow, my first chapter and I'm already wiped out! Seriously though, tell me what you all think of this so far. I'm a little nervous, but I'm also really interested to hear what you have to say. Please be gentle, I'm new at this after all. Constructive criticism is fine, being an asshole isn't. Just wanted to get that out of the way. Anyway, thank you all for expressing your interest in this little story of mine. I'll try not to disappoint. I can't promise perfection, but I can promise quality. I'll see you all in the next chapter.**_


	2. Drowning Their Sorrows

**Chapter Two:**

**Drowning Their Sorrows**

The six Elements of Harmony sat together within the confines of Ponyville's dilapidated pub. They were gathered around a shabby wooden table and seated on a filthy, worn out, padded booth seat with the stuffing spilling out in some areas. Normally Rarity wouldn't have imagined putting her hind quarters anywhere near such a disgusting seat, but given how distraught she was, she honestly didnt care.

In front of each of the six ponies were various muti-colored bottles containing each of their favorite alcoholic beverages. They had just spent the past hour explaining their situations to each other, rambling on about how miserable they were, and so on. Now they just sat there quietly, taking swigs out of their bottles every once in a while, just attempting to lose themselves to inebriation.

Twilight glanced around the table at her friends, gagging all their expressions. Applejack was just frowning and shaking her head before each swig of her drink. Fluttershy was mumbling something to herself (it appeared to be _Angel... can't lose him_). Rarity had her eyes shut tightly and her hooves pressed into her forehead. Rainbow Dash was simply fuming the whole time. She looked about ready to rip the head off of the next pony who looked at her wrong. But it was Pinkie Pie's expression that disturbed Twilight the most. Their was now loopy smile stretched across her face; no gleeful twinkle in her eye. All she showed was pure and utter shock and despair. she had seen Pinkie sad before, but never at a level quite like this. Pinkie's expression would haunt Twilight's dreams for a long time.

In spite of what a devastating situation it was for her fellow Elements, Twilight couldn't help but feel a little better knowing her friends were in the same boat she was. She wasn't _happy _at their suffering or anything; it wasn't like that at all. It was just that she didn't feel like the whole world was against just her now. It was a small comfort to know that she and her friends could share not only their joy's and happiness, but there pain and sorrow as well. They truly were like a family.

The pub was nearly empty except for the a couple of rather obnoxious stallions sitting well over on the other side bar. There loud voices carried all the way over to where the six were sitting, and they were really starting to grate on them. Dash appeared to be about five seconds away from speeding over there and shoving each of their heads up the others... yeeeaaaah. Still, the other five just did what they could to shut it out.

Nearly twenty minutes of silence from each of the six ponies passed until Applejack found the need to break it.

"Ya work so hard. Ya work so darned hard," She muttered before taking another swig of her hard apple cider. She then began to tear up again. "Consarnit! Why do ponies have ta be so dang cruel?"

Twilight, who was sitting next to her, placed a hoof on her foreleg.

"It's a stupid thing, Applejack, it really is," she said consolingly. She took a swig of her tequila. "Ponies who just go around destroying the property of others... and- and run around drunk, hauling large carts behind them just don't... don't deserve freedom! They should just- just be left to rot in jail forever and ever!"

"Yeah, Ah hear ya, sugarcube," Applejack replied.

Rainbow Dash chugged down a large portion of her straight vodka and then slammed the bottle down hard on the table. Normally harder alcoholic beverages would've been served in shot glasses, but Dash convinced their waiter to just leave the bottles. She told him it was gonna take more than just a single shot glass to drown her sorrow, and her seemed to sympathize. She turned to Twilight.

"Look, Twi," she began in a very slurred speech. "I- I don't wanna, like... belittle your situation or nothin', but are you really in as much trouble as you're letting on? I mean, libraries are funded by the city aren't they? Can't Mayor Mare bail you outta this or somethin'?"

Twilight gave a long, labored sigh.

"You'd think so, Dash, but that's sadly not the case here," she explained. "When I first came into ownership of the library and decided to live there, the mayor and I agreed that anything that went on with it would ultimately be my responsibility. Any renovations or damage repairs are all paid for out of my pocket." She sighed again. "Starting to wish I hadn't agreed to that. Still, even if we had decided to do it the other way, I don't know if Mayor Mare would be up to raising taxes again in order to pay for the damages; they're high enough as it is."

Dash took another chug out of her bottle and slammed it down again. She let out a small belch.

"That's government for ya," She muttered.

"Ah'll drink ta that," AJ said, raising her bottle and clinking it against Dash's before sucking down more cider.

Fluttershy sighed. She swirled her bottle of spiced rum around with her hoof. She wasn't much of drinker, but spiced rum was one of the few drinks she could manage to keep down. She liked the faint hint of vanilla it carried. It wasn't doing much to numb her pain, though. It was going to take a lot more than the one alcoholic beverage she could tolerate to help her deal with the prospect of losing her favorite animal. Well, she loved all her animals; she wasn't allowed to have favorites, but Angel was something truly special. To her, there was no rabbit like him in all of Equestria.

But then, Fluttershy felt a bit ashamed of herself. Here she was thinking only of her own problems when her dear friends were suffering just as much as she was. Applejack losing her crops, Twilight losing her library and almost losing her number one assistant, Rarity coming close to losing her business _and _her sister, Pinkie nearly bankrupting Sugarcube Corner, and Rainbow Dash now jobless and nowhere closer to joining her idols. This was not the time for Fluttershy to be selfish; she had to give her love and support to her friends. They needed it now more than ever. She first turned to her fellow pegasus.

"So... is there no chance at all for you to get your job back?" She asked in a voice just above a whisper. "You couldn't just go back to your boss and apologize for what you said? Just tell him you were in a tough spot and, um, maybe he'll take you back?"

Dash snorted loudly.

"Oh, forget it, Shy! I've wasted enough oxygen on that dick cheese! Besides, why should I apologize? He treated me like shit the whole time I worked for! I meant every damn word I said to him! My only regret is that I didn't finish by kicking him in the balls!"

Rarity choked a bit on her blackberry schnapps.

"Oh honestly, darling! I know this is a difficult time for us right now, but is there really any call for such vulgar language?" She scolded right as her bottle slipped out of the cleft of her hoof and spilled onto the table. "Oh fuck," she muttered under breath.

Dash just rolled her eyes in annoyance at the fashionista.

"Whatever, I'm not screwed, not by a long shot. I'll think of something, I always do. That's just how I roll!" She paused for a second, her proud expression faded a bit. "Fuckin' Wonderbolts," she muttered under her breath. She then turned back to Fluttershy. "So, about Angel; are you sure it's not just gas or something?"

Fluttershy shook her head grimly.

"No, they told me that Bloat was a very serious condition that's almost always fatal," she said. Tears began to well up in her eyes again. "They didn't say it, but..." she hesitated. "I just know it was something I did."

Twilight reached across the table and patted her friends hoof.

"I don't think so, Fluttershy," she cooed. "You've always been so careful with your animals. Whatever happened, I'm sure it can all just be chalked up to bad luck." She took a moment to gaze around at the defeated expressions of her friends and sighed sadly. "Seems to be a lot of that going around for us right now."

"Fuckin' Wonderbolts," Dash repeated, this time a little louder, incurring an angry look from Rarity. "I mean, what fuck more am I supposed to do for them? If I had known they were this damn picky about their new members, I probably would've stuck it out with that shit job for a few days more, waited 'til I was _sure_ I was going to be a highly paid celebrity, and _then_ told my boss what a shit-sucking, cock-knocking, colt-fucking-"

"RAINBOW DASH, PLEASE!" Rarity snapped. "I don't want to have to listen to such profanities right now! I'm simply too distraught!"

Dash snorted again.

"Oh yeah, you're really suffering, aren't you?" She said sarcastically.

Rarity's gaze became hardened and enraged.

"Beg pardon, dear?"

"Oh, knock it off, Rarity! You're not in the same boat as the rest of us! From what you told us it sounds like all you need is one decent transaction and you're back on easy street!"

Rarity looked dumbstruck.

"One decent trans- wh- what are..." She stammered. "I- you- don't you think I-" she groaned in frustration, then collected herself and said through gritted teeth: "That wouldn't be a problem, dearest, if I could first FIND SOMEPONY WILLING TO DO A TRANSACTION WITH ME!"

"Why wouldn't anypony want to buy a dress from you?" Twilight stepped in. "You've always been so good at doing what you do."

Rarity shrugged.

"I- I don't know. Perhaps a dissatisfied customer from the past took it upon herself to besmirch my good name by spreading nasty rumors about my store, and now there's not a pony anywhere who wants to risk doing business with me!"

Applejack leaned in towards Rarity.

"That's a serious accusation there, hon," she said.

"Well, what other explanation is there?" Rarity asked almost hysterically. "Why else would Photo Finish just up and decide that I'm no longer good enough for her? I mean, I've served her loyally for years, and now because I fail to deliver what she wanted just one time she up and decides to sever all ties with me?"

No one said anything for a while. Rarity had made a fairly good point. She was a highly respected pony throughout most of Equestria, but even she couldn't possibly be without enemies. The idea of another pony being let down by a piece clothing Rarity had made and taking it upon herself to smear her good name wasn't terribly far-fetched. After an exhausted sigh, Rarity continued.

"But, there's something else that has me far more worried at this time."

Twilight already knew what it was.

"Sweetie Belle?" She said quietly.

Rarity nodded.

"That little darling is my whole world. But I'm afraid that due to my lack of business recently, I just haven't been able to provide adequately enough for her. Those foal service ponies have been circling me like vultures recently. One little slip up and," she elegantly yet forcefully slammed a hoof on the table. "She'll be taken away just like that. If I can just find some way to collect enough bits to at least keep her in school, I might be able to keep the wolves at bay for a little while longer. But, where can I..."

She trailed off there. Her friends already knew what she meant. Where were any of them supposed to find a proper way to make enough bits to solve their problems? It just didn't seem possible. Rainbow Dash gulped down the rest of her vodka and flipped the bottle over, not caring that it rolled off the table and onto the already filthy pub floor. Twilight stared at her intently for a second. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw the glimmer of a small tear forming at the corner of Dash's eye. But that couldn't be possible; Dash never cried. She did, however, look utterly and completely defeated, which was even rarer than crying.

"How could this've happened to us?" Dash said, mostly to herself. "I mean, after everything we've been through: dragons, parasprites, Nightmare Moon, and... whatever the crap Discord was, and now... it's a financial crisis that finally does us all in."

"Rather an unfitting end, isn't it?" Rarity muttered.

Finally, Pinkie Pie, who up until this point had been quieter than Fluttershy, sucked down the rest of her watermelon flavored bacardi and then burst out with some more woeful words.

"Well, there's only one explanation for everything that's happened to us, girls: Celestia hates us!"

The group all stared at her, both in shock that she had finally said something, and in confusion at what she said.

"Pinkie, what does Princess Celestia have to do with any of this?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I mean, wh- why would she let something like this happen to us?" Pinkie cried. "I thought we were her little ponies!"

"Pinkie, every pony in Equestria is her little pony," Twilight explained. "Besides, it's not like she's involved with every aspect of our personal lives."

"She is with you, ain't she?" Applejack asked. 'Ah mean, she has ya write ta her just about every darned day, don't she?"

"Well, not every day. Just when I have to explain a friendship problem to her," Twilight said. She then added quietly: "Which happens disturbingly often with you guys."

"Well it sounds to me like we have a pretty legit friendship problem happening right now!" Dash exclaimed. "So here, I'll help you get started on a new letter: 'Dear Princess Asshole, my friends and I totally fucked. Please send a shit-load of bits to us so we can un-fuck ourselves and go back to properly serving your fat alicorn ass. Your's sincerely, Twilight Sparkle.'"

Now Twilight was starting to get pissed. She tried to remind herself that it was probably just the alcohol talking, but how dare Rainbow Dash imply that she should ask her mentor for bits! Twilight Sparkle didn't get to where she was today by mooching off others, even when she was in the worst of circumstances!

"Dash, you have no idea how friendship reports work!" She snapped. "I write to her about what problems we experienced and how we solved them! I don't bitch and whine for her to come down and save us! And I can guarantee you that's not what I'm gonna do in this case either! We're all perfectly mature ponies and we can figure these problems out on our own!"

"Well, um," Fluttershy's voice squeaked in. "Does she at least know about what's been happening to us?"

Twilight sighed for about the hundredth time that day.

"Sent her a letter yesterday not too long after the whole incident, but I haven't heard back from her yet. Usually she's really quick with her replies, but... I don't know, maybe she's..." Twilight didn't know what to think.

"You see?" Pinkie cried. "She doesn't care about us anymore!" She began to cry loudly and obnoxiously.

"You know what?" Dash said. "I'm starting to think Pinkie has a point! I mean, Celestia was always so good to us when we were big heroes and all! But nothing bad's really happened in Equestria for some time! We haven't exactly had much to do for her in a while!"

"Yeah, that's true." Applejack agreed.

"Ya see what I mean?" Dash continued. "You probably have to save Equestria a minimum of three times a year in order for Celestia to give two shits about you!"

"Rainbow Dash, I have had just about enough of your language!" Rarity snapped. "But... I'm also starting to think that you may be... may be... Oh, damn it all! It's over for us!"

"YOU GUYS!" Twilight roared. "DO YOU REALIZE HOW RIDICULOUS YOU ALL SOUND RIGHT NOW? IT'S NOT CELESTIA'S FAULT! IT WAS JUST A STRING OF BAD LUCK FOR US ALL! IF WE STICK TOGETHER WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS! WE JUST HAVE TO-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP OVER THERE YOU STUPID BITCHES!" Roared a masculine voice from across the pub.

Rainbow Dash didn't waste a second. She grabbed her now empty vodka bottle chucked it at the obnoxious stallions, nearly hitting one of them square in the face. Instead the bottle shattered on the wall behind him.

"WHY DON'T YOU COME OVER HERE AND MAKE US?" Dash roared at back at them. "AFRAID YOU'LL GET YOUR ASSES HANDED TO YOU BY A BUNCH OF MARES? WELL YOU SHOULD BE! WE'VE HANDLED WORSE THAN YOU!" Her friends made no effort to hold her back. They were just as pissed as she was. Even Fluttershy was starting to want to unleash her trademark stare on them and watch them cower in fear.

The two stallions looked like they were just rarin' to have a go at the violent cyan pegasus, but the pub management stepped in before it could get ugly.

"Ladies, we saw the whole thing, and I'm afraid I have to ask you all to leave," the manager asked as politely as he could.

"What? Why do we have ta leave?" Applejack asked angrily. "Them varmints over there started it!" Her other friends nodded in agreement.

"Please, I don't want any trouble," the manager said nervously. "Just please pay for your drinks and then leave."

The six ponies stared at him with expressions of pure rage on their faces. This just further cemented their belief that the world was against them.

"You know what?" Dash said. "Maybe we won't pay for our drinks!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie stepped in. "We weren't satisfied with your service, you meanie pants!"

"Here here!" Rarity announced.

To further punctuate that point, Rainbow Dash laid her fore leg on the table they were sitting at and swept it across the whole thing, knocking all of their bottles onto the floor.

"PICK IT UP!" She roared at the manager.

With that, the six ponies filed out past the now physically shaking manager. They passed the two stallions, who now looked very much intimidated by the "bitches" they had just insulted. Each of the mares shot them their own dirty look as they passed. Dash stopped in front of them for a moment and made a quick move like she was about to strike one of them. They both flinched, and that was satisfying enough for Dash. She smirked to herself and continued after her friends.

Outside, the sun was starting to descend behind the panoramic hills surrounding Ponyville. As the group made their way out of the pub, Dash stepped away from them and faced the setting ball of fire with an expression of pure loathing on her face. If ponies had fingers, Dash would've been flashing both her middles at that sun.

"I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS, CELESTIA!" She screamed. "I HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GOOD, HEARTY FUCKIN' LAUGH!"

"Dash, that's enough!' Applejack scolded.

Dash wanted to shout some more, but her voice was actually starting to give out, which rarely happened with her. Besides, shouting wasn't going to solve anything for her anyway. It wasn't going to get her any closer to having a paying job again. it had done quite the opposite actually. She sighed angrily, then rejoined her friends, who were gathered in a circle a good distance from the pub. They all sat there in silence for a long while. The alcohol had done them little to no good that night. They were as miserable as ever. Maybe even more so.

Twilight looked into the defeated faces of her friends. No matter how many times she had seen them like this today, she just wasn't getting used to it. Yelling at them earlier had made her feel even worse now, which she honestly didn't think was possible. She had to leave them on as positive a note as possible before saying goodnight to them.

"Girls, I'm sorry, I really am," she began. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, I'm sorry for everything that's happened, I'm... I'm just sorry for everything. If there was anything I could do..."

"Hey now, don't you worry yerself, sugarcube," Applejack interjected. "Things'll... things'll..." She wanted to say things would work out, but she just couldn't. She didn't believe that herself.

Twilight could see it in their eyes: they had all given up. She supposed she should too. But she couldn't allow herself to. Not yet. Desperate to make at least one of them feel better before leaving, she turned to the closest pony to her: Fluttershy.

"I'm sorry about Angel, Shy," she said consolingly. "Are you sure there's nothing you can do?"

"I- I don't know," Fluttershy whimpered. "I'm just doing what I can for now, which isn't much." She slowly turned away. "I need to go home now and give him his pills. I guess I'll see you all tomorrow or something."

The others all started to disperse as well.

"I suppose I should go home and enjoy what little time I have left with Sweetie Belle," Rarity muttered.

"I guess I'll go back and cry myself to sleep over how I ruined the lives of the two nicest, sweetest, bestest ponies in Equestria," Pinkie moaned. What she really wanted to do was turn the oven on, stick her head in it and let the fumes do their job.

"I guess I'll go home and drink the poison under my sink," Dash sneered, then took off into the darkening sky.

Now it was just Twilight and Applejack. The orange earth pony slowly approach the lavender unicorn with as much a smile as she could muster, which wasn't much at all.

"Hey, Twi," She said kindly. "We all love you. Ya know that, right?"

Twilight managed to smile a bit as well now.

"Yeah, I do," she said. "And I love you all too. I just wish there was something I could do."

"Now don'tcha go worryin' too much 'bout us," AJ said. "You just focus on getting yer own affairs sorted out, and we'll take care of ourselves fer now. Where'r ya'll stayin' now, anyway?

"Ponyville inn," Twilight answered. "I got Spike and I set up there for a few nights. I don't know what I'll do when those nights are up, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

AJ paused for a moment, then leaned in closer to Twilight.

"Ya know, we have plenty o' room over at Sweet Apple Acres. I'd be more'n happy ta have you 'n Spike."

Twilight seriously considered that offer for a moment, but her conscience got the better of her.

"Oh, I couldn't impose on you at a time like this. Besides, I've already paid for nights at the Ponyville inn, and they have a strict 'no refund' policy. But thanks anyway, I really appreciate it."

Applejack exhaled sharply, then nodded.

"Alrighty then," she said as she began to turn away. "Ah guess Ah'll see ya when Ah see ya. Take care, hon."

"You too, AJ, you too," Twilight said.

She watched Applejack walk off for her home until she was out of sight. She stood there alone for a while. Celestia's sun was now fully set, and Luna's moon was beginning to rise. Ursa Major was hovered directly above her, and for a second it almost felt like it would come crashing down on top of her.

Twilight Sparkle began her slow walk for her temporary home. But first, she wanted to make a little detour... at her former home and place of business.

* * *

_**Thanks for the reviews and favorites! Please leave more! They encourage me to write faster! Check back soon for more chapters. Soon you'll start to see where I'm going with this story. Thanks again!**_


	3. A Dark Idea Forms

**Chapter Three:**

**A Dark Idea Forms**

In the near pitch blackness of the night, Twilight stood before the ravaged remains of her home. Several strands of yellow police tape separated prevented her from getting too close. It was almost completely silent, save for the light wind that was rustling the leaves of nearby trees. Not a single pony seemed to be out tonight. The fact that the windows in every shop and house were all dim made it seem as though everypony had gone to bed rather early tonight. It was just Twilight, gazing sadly at the remains of her desecrated sanctuary.

Why had she come back here? She didn't need to see this horrid sight anymore. She knew what this place had meant to her. It was her everything. Whenever her friends were unavailable and there was nothing major going on throughout Ponyville, all she had to pluck one of her favorite tomes from the shelf and lose herself in whatever it was she had selected. And now, it had all been taken from her by some careless stallion who she honestly hoped was being ripped apart by dragons at that very moment.

She stared at it for nearly a half hour before she finally felt the courage to get a little closer. After taking a quick look around to make sure she truly was alone, she ducked under the police tape and advanced on the ruins. As she continued on, her ears were met with the sound of glass and bark crunching under her hooves with each step. She didn't actually want to go _into _the ruins, she knew that would be just plain stupid. She just wanted to get right up next to it and say goodbye properly; give it a bit of a eulogy. She didn't want to believe that this would be almost like a final goodbye to an old friend, but considering she had no idea whatsoever of how she would solve this problem, there was no other way for her to think of it.

She got right up to only remaining side of the library that was still partially standing, placed her forehead against it and closed her eyes. She spent the next few minutes just reminiscing about the all the good times she had here. The good ol' days. Days she was sure would never experience again. A single tear glided down her cheek and dropped to the ground. The shape it formed when it splashed vaguely resembled a broken heart before disintegrating.

"Goodbye, old friend," Twilight whispered into the wood, damn near kissing it.

When she opened her eyes and prepared to turn away, her attention was drawn to a few good sized books that lay scattered on the ground. There were tons of books laying around everywhere, a majority of which were damaged beyond repair, the covers torn off, the pages ripped out and such. But the few that caught her eye seemed to be in pretty good shape. A little dirty maybe, but still very much readable. One at a time Twilight telekenetically pulled them out of the rubble and carefully stacked them onto her back. She wanted to take these book with her and never let them go. They would serve as a permanent reminder of what that library had meant to her. She would take them back to the Ponyville inn and read them over and over until her eyes were sore. It would be a small comfort in an overall despair filled situation. carefully balancing the books on her back, Twilight trotted back to her temporary home.

It wasn't a long walk to Ponyville inn considering Ponyville wasn't a very large town. But for some reason it sure felt long to Twilight. She supposed a lot of things were going to feel longer than they should from now on. When she stepped into the main lobby, she saw that it was completely deserted except for the lone pony manning the front desk. He looked from the newspaper he was reading, considered the young unicorn for a few seconds, then resumed reading his paper. Twilight trotted past him and made her way up the few flights of stairs to her floor and trotted off down the hall. Passing one of the rooms, she heard a muffled yet loud sensuous moaning emanating from it. Twilight would've gagged if her throat hadn't been so dry. She didn't want to think about what had possibly gone on in the room that she and Spike currently occupied.

When she reached her room, she levitated her key, which was in a small leather pouch next to her flank and inserted it into the lock. She managed to smile a bit as to just how accurate she was getting with her magic when it came to inserting small objects into even smaller holes. Ugh... the wording of that thought made her think of the happy couple in the room she had passed moments ago. She quickly shook it off and entered her room.

The room was dimly lit by a small lamp lying on a table between two beds, one of which had a slowly inflating and deflating lump on top of it and under it's covers. Twilight was grateful that she was able to get a room with two beds. The thought of having to share a bed with a rough-skinned baby dragon would've added more fuel to her already raging internal fire. Still, she managed to give a small smile at the almost vomit inducingly adorable sight of Spike peacefully dozing in a bed that was much too big for him.

Twilight made her way to the side of the bed he was on and just stared down at him for a while. In all the craziness of the past several hours, she had almost forgotten how close she had come to losing something that no amount of bits could replace. Though she dared not consider herself his mother, knowing he probably wouldn't appreciate that, she couldn't shake the feeling that he sometimes felt less like an assistant or friend and more like a son. And why not? She did love him very much after all. She had raised him from birth, she gave him food and shelter, bathed him once in a while, took care of him when he was sick, was extremely protective of him when she had to be. Still, she couldn't call herself his mother. In spite of everything she did for him, it just wouldn't seem right to think of herself that way.

Even so, as she watched his silently sleeping form, she felt the sudden urge to give him a loving nuzzle. Nothing too intimate, just a friendly little nuzzle to show that she still cared about him. So she did just that: she brought her face down to his and gently nuzzled his rough, scaly cheek. It took every fiber of her being to keep from kissing him there as well. As she did this, she began to realize more and more that whatever she decided to do in the near future, she had to take Spike into account. Whatever it was she chose to do, it had to be in not just her own best interests, but his as well.

This tender moment lasted a few minutes before Spike began to stir. His eyes flickered open and the first thing he saw was his vision cleared was a smudgy purple mass right up against his face. He recognized it instantly and gave a slightly annoyed grunt.

"Ah, you woke me up, Twi," he moaned as he gave her face a light push away from his own.

"Aw, sorry Spike," Twilight said with a small quiet chuckle. "Just... wanted to let you know I was back."

Spike gave her a weak but meaningful smile.

"Ah well, I actually wasn't sleeping too well anyway," he said. "I can't get used to this bed. It's too big for me," he gave a small, tired sigh. "I miss my basket."

"Yeah, I know," Twilight said soothingly. "This is just temporary though. We'll find some other place soon, I'm sure," She then added quietly "I hope."

"Yeah," Spike said. "Because... well, I don't mean to insult your hotel finding skills or anything, but this place sucks. The beds are uncomfortable, the continental breakfast tasted like crap, and everypony that comes in here seems to be hornier than a-"

"Spike! Don't talk that way!" Twilight scolded. "Honestly, I think you've been listening to Rainbow Dash too much."

"Nah, I didn't learn those words from her," Spike said with a chuckle. "That library had some pretty dirty little books here and there, and every so often I would-" he suddenly noticed her sad expression, and knew exactly what it meant. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."

Twilight shook her head.

"No, no it's okay Spike," she said as sincerely as she could. "I mean, there are tons of libraries throughout Equestria. But... but there's only one you." Spike stared at her intently now, and Twilight stared back. "How... are you feeling anyway?" She asked. "Are you... handling yourself alright?"

"Yeeeaaah," Spike answered slowly. "I mean, it was a little freaky, but I didn't get hurt too bad or anything so... I guess I'll be alright. But what about you. Are _you _alright?"

Although she was deeply touched by Spikes concern for her, Twilight wanted to make something very clear to him.

"Spike, I'll be just fine," she said intensely. "But I want you to know something: You don't need to worry about me. I'm a grown unicorn, I can take care of myself. It's me who should worry about you, Spike, not the other way around. Okay?"

Spike considered that for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright, Twi," he said simply.

Now Twilight couldn't resist. She wrapped a foreleg around him and held him tightly against her. She was happy to feel his dragon claws gently placed against the back of her neck.

"I love you, big guy," she said, her voice nearly breaking.

"I love you too, Twilight," Spike replied. "But please don't cry, okay?"

The two just held each other for a while. Twilight simply didn't want to let go of her dear friend. Eventually Spike had to pretty much force her off of him. He didn't do it too crudely though, and Twilight understood. She even managed to giggle a bit.

"So, you're sure you're alright?" She asked him.

"Yep," Spike answered promptly.

"Not gonna have any nightmares?"

"Nope."

"I'm not gonna have to snuggle you or anything?"

Spike scoffed, then tuned over and slapped his hind-quarters.

"Snuggle this, Twi," He taunted.

"Spike!" Twilight scolded again. "What would Celestia say if she heard you talking like that?"

"I dunno," Spike answered. "She'd probably faint or-" His eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh! Before I forget," he reached over onto the night stand next to his bed and held up a white envelope. "This arrived while you were out."

Twilight would recognize that envelope anywhere. Celestia had sent her reply. It had taken a little longer than usual, but it was here now, and that was all that mattered. Without a word, she used her magic to tear the top open and pulled out the enclosed letter. She held it under the dim light of the lamp and began to read it.

_My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,_

_I have read your letter regarding the current crisis that had befallen you. This is indeed a truly unfortunate turn of events. To lose your home and place of business in such a devastating and unexpected way must really have you crestfallen. However, I must also express my deepest relief that you and Spike have both emerged from this tragedy alive and well. Libraries may come and go, but there is only one you, and one Spike._

_Still, I understand that you are now facing a truly difficult task, as are your fellow Elements of Harmony. This is most definitely a crisis very much different from any you have faced in the past. Which is why I am deeply anxious to know just how you plan on dealing with it. Think of this as your greatest challenge yet, your ultimate test. Together with your friends, I am sure you will overcome this tragedy. You have always been capable of great things, Twilight Sparkle, now you can show all of Equestria just how strong you truly are._

_I will put your friendship reports on hold for the time being. In the meantime I want you to just think about what you want to do and how you are going to do it. Once you have reached a decision, I want you to write me again and tell me what it is you plan on doing. I am not going to step in or anything, I just want to know what you will be up to. _

_Take your time. Think things out. Be smart about your choices. I know you will do well, and I wish you the best of luck._

_Yours Sincerely, Princess Celestia_

Twilight just stood there in silence. So that was it. Celestia wasn't going to step in and help her. Twilight had remembered what she had told her friends back in the pub: that she didn't want Celestia's help. That she wanted to solve this problem on her own. Still, she had expected Celestia to at least _offer _to help her. That way she could've at least had the opportunity to politely decline her aid in her next letter. Or... maybe consider just breaking down and accepting it. No chance of that now, though.

To Twilight, this letter was just a polite way of Celestia saying _Go fuck yourself, my dear Twilight Sparkle. You are on your own. _Twilight was seconds away from screaming in rage. Spike could see the fury masked behind her relatively straight face.

"You okay, Twilight?" He asked worriedly.

"Huh?" Twilight was snapped back to reality. "Oh, um... yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"W- well what did Celestia have to say?" He asked.

Twilight honestly didn't want to talk about it at that time. She just wanted to crawl into bed and never get out.

"I- I'll tell you in the morning," She told her assistant. "I'm just too tired right now."

Spike didn't say anything. He merely nodded and buried his face into his pillow. Knowing that Spike was no longer watching her, Twilight used her magic to crumple the letter up and toss it into the nearby trash can. She then plopped the book she was carrying onto the foot of her own bed and climbed into it. The covers weren't exactly the cleanest Twilight had ever seen, but as long as they weren't so thick with love juice that they were practically standing on end, she would accept them.

Knowing that she would gain no more sleep than she had the night before (which was practically none), Twilight decided to get started on one of the books she had salvaged. There were only five, but it would be more than enough for now. Reaching over to the lamp, she gave it a quick tap with her hoof, increasing it's brightness.

"Hey, Spike," she said quietly to the slumbering dragon. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. Is this light going to bother you?"

"Mmmph," was the only response she got.

She didn't know if that was a yes or a no, or if Spike was just talking in his sleep. Either way, she figured she was good to go. Twilight telekenetically pulled the closest book to her and propped it against the thighs of her hindlegs. She opened it up and took a quick glance at what it was. She frowned a bit. It was an advanced magical instruction book that she remembered reading not to long ago. She had already mastered a majority of the spells in it, the most interesting one being an electronic disturbance spell which, though fascinating, really wouldn't serve as much use for Twilight here in Ponyville considering the town didnt have much in the way of electricity with the exception of lights, phones, and a fairly up to date hospital. Besides, Twilight figured that unless she needed to knock out the power somewhere, she wouldn't have much use for a spell like that. Still, she studied it thoroughly enough, just in case...

Twilight set the book aside, not feeling like learning any new spells at that time, and pulled the next one to her. She gazed at the cover of it, and for a second was quite baffled. She thought she had read just about every book in that library, though she had never come across any of those dirty books Spike had mentioned (he probably was getting it from Rainbow Dash), but she knew she had never seen this one before.

"Bonnie and Clydesdale," she read aloud.

Seemed interesting enough, and besides, if Twilight was going to stay up all night reading then it might as well be a story she wasn't familiar with. She flipped the book open and started into it. Once she started, she couldn't stop.

The story told of two love-struck young ponies who lived in a difficult time for Equestria. Jobs were scarce and bits were scarcer. It was a harsh world where nopony seemed to care about any other pony's struggles. It was everypony for themselves. and in a world where making an honest living just wasn't going to cut it. So the two lovers turned to a more than a little less honest way of solving their problems: robberies.

From page one all the way to the ending, Twilight was enthralled by what she read. She was instantly sympathetic to their plight, and no matter how dastardly their actions became, she never stopped rooting for them. But what fascinated her the most was how the public responded to the two criminals. They loved them, treated them like heroes. They were like a beacon of hope in an otherwise dreary and defeated world. Sure, the law enforcement still hunted them and all, but everypony else seemed to think they were doing the right thing. In a world as cruel, ruthless and unforgiving as the one depicted in the book, it seemed the only answer was to be crueller and more ruthless than the world around them, and everypony seemed to accept that.

Twilight completely lost her sense of the world around her as she read. At times she was practically imagining herself in the book with them, holding up banks and trains and such. By the time she had finished it was nearly morning, and the first rays of Celestia's sun were protruding through the window. Twilight gently set the book aside and slowly slid back into her bed. She took a quick glance at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was 6:30. She supposed she could still try to get an hour or two of sleep, but she knew that wouldn't be possible. She needed to properly digest what she had just consumed.

That book had done more than just give her an escape from her bleak reality, it gave her... ideas. Crazy ideas. Sick ideas. Ideas that she would never have even remotely considered had she been in a more proper state of mind. Sadly, that just wasn't the case. She was desperate. Desperate to see an end to her struggles. Desperate to have a home again. Desperate to see Spike happy once more. Desperate to see her friends happy once more. Her friends... five ponies who she loved more than anything in all of Equestria. Five ponies with whom she had accomplished things she never would've thought herself capable of...

Suddenly Twilight Sparkle knew what she was going to do that day. She had to get her friends together and explain to them the crazy ideas that were plaguing her. She would spend the next hour or so going over and over in her mind just how she would explain everything to them. She knew they would probably call her crazy. Hysterical. Maybe they would even cut it off with her for good.

Still, Twilight wouldn't be at peace until she at least tried to get them to understand what she wanted to do and why she felt she had to do it. She was more desperate than she had ever been before in her life after all, and she hoped that her friends were as well.

* * *

_**Well, I guess you all know where this is going now (by the way, good call McPeach **_**;)_) But trust me, it's gonna be something deeper than just ponies holding up banks for entertainments sake (or at least I hope it will)._**

**_I'll leave with that for now. By the way, I don't think Bonnie and Clyde was ever a book, but for me it just made more sense for Twilight to get the idea from a book rather than a movie. Hopefully no one (or nopony) was put off by that. Anyway, thanks again for all the reviews, favorites and alerts! I'm really lovin' what I'm hearing from you all! See ya next time for a fairly lengthy chapter!_**


	4. The Elements of Disharmony

**Chapter Four:**

**The Elements of Disharmony**

It was nearly 10:00 AM when Twilight was able to lift herself out of the filthy bed. She was instantly greeted by Spike, who had gone downstairs to fetch her some breakfast. With a groggy "morning, Twi," her handed her a stale blueberry muffin and a cup of lukewarm coffee. Twilight, grateful for his catering to her, managed to choke it all down. Spike wasn't kidding about the food there tasting like crap.

Shortly after finishing, Twilight told her assistant that she was going out for some fresh air. Spike, in spite of wanting to know what Celestia had wrote in her letter the night before, decided he could wait a little longer. He didn't want to pester her too much, knowing how on edge she was. He simply bade her goodbye and went back to reclining in his much too large bed. It was all he _could_ do in that miserable inn. Twilight normally wouldn't leave such a young dragon all alone like this, but since the accident she felt he had really matured in many ways. She figured she could be a little more laid back in regards to keeping an eye on him. Besides, he had been just fine the night before.

Twilight stepped out of the dreary inn into the brightness of the day. In spite of how horrible the past few days had been, Ponyville didn't seem any less cheery than it normally did. The streets were still filled with happily smiling ponies who cheerfully greeted each other as they passed. Even Celestia's sun seemed to be smiling down on the gleeful mares and stallions. Twilight Sparkle had to seriously fight the urge rip every one of their fucking heads off. She managed to contain herself, but only just. She knew she had a job to do that day; she had to get her friends together and explain to them the crazy idea she had. She didn't care about what they would say or what they would think of her at that time, she just had to get it out into the open.

She couldn't tell them this lunatic plan just anywhere, though. She needed to take them somewhere private, where they wouldn't be overheard by others. As she thought, a light breeze caused her to hear the rustling of leaves in the nearby Everfree forest, and she decided right then and there that that place would be perfect. They wouldn't have to go too deep into it; just far enough that they were well out the way of any other pony. If they somehow came across Zecora by any chance, Twilight would just have to think of a polite way of telling her to fuck off. With a deep breath, Twilight began her search for her friends.

The first pony she came across was Applejack, oddly enough. She and Big Mac had been in town checking to see if there were any stores or businesses hiring. They needed some way to get some bits rolling, even if it meant working a crappy part time job as a cashier or something. Twilight was able to convince her that she had something of the utmost importance to tell her, and that the job hunt could wait. Together they took off for the next closest pony: Rarity.

The fashion unicorn was sitting in the fetal position on her bed when she heard the knock at her door. She was a bit surprised to find two of her closest friends on the other side of it. She had thought that they had all been doing the same thing she had been doing. Nevertheless, she heard Twilight out and decided to accompany her in finding the others.

The three then headed for Sugarcube Corner, where they found their crazy party pony friend banging her head against the outside of the shop chanting "Stupid Pinkie! Stupid Pinkie!" Over and over again, scaring away potential customers. Mr. Cake, who had been outside with her, explained to the others that Pinkie had been doing this consistently since the lawsuit. It was the only thing that supposedly made her feel better, and he couldn't stop it no matter how hard her tried. Twilight managed to forcefully pull Pinkie away from the wall and get it through her head that she had something important to tell her. Pinkie agreed to come with her, but not before smacking her head a few more times on the wall, the last almost being hard enough to leave a dent. Together, the four headed off to gather their pegasi friends.

They first went to Fluttershy's cottage and found her sitting outside in the beautiful daylight, snuggling a very sick looking Angel. She had been like that since she had returned from the pub the night before, just holding her little bunny close to her out in front of her house. The others approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her for the risk that she might drop Angel and do more damage to him. Luckily, she heard their approaching hoofsteps and slowly gazed up at them. Twilight explained to her that they all needed to talk. Fluttershy was a bit hesitant at leaving her bunny alone at first for too long at first, but Twilight stressed that what she had to tell her couldn't have been more important, and that it may very well determine the fate of her Angel, and that was enough to win her over. Fluttershy first took Angel back inside and gently set him down in the newer more comfortable bed she had made for him. She kissed him on the head, told him she'd be back soon, and went out to join her friends. Now they just needed Rainbow Dash.

Instead of bothering with casting a cloud-walker spell and hauling out the balloon, Twilight just sent Fluttershy to go grab her. It seemed unlikely that meek little Fluttershy could convince bold and brash Rainbow Dash to join them, especially in the angry, violent state she was sure to be in, but Twilight just told Fluttershy to tell Dash the same thing she herself had just been told: that what Twilight had to say was of the utmost importance, and that it may be a possible solution to their problems. Shy nervously took to the sky, assuring herself that if worst came to worst she could always use her stare. She didn't want it to come to that, though.

Twilight and the others waited for about a half-hour before they finally saw the two pegasi approaching them. Twilight wanted to greet Dash as she came up to her, but she noticed that she looked a bit shaken and out of it. She turned to Fluttershy to ask what had happened, but the yellow pegasus just shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it.

Now that the gang was all there, Twilight was ready to take them into the Everfree forest. They were all a bit hesitant to go out there again, but Twilight made it clear to them that what she had to tell them had to be kept strictly between the six, and that she needed the most private place possible to ensure this. They all seemed to reluctantly understand, and together they stepped through the thick trees into the dark forest. Twilight led them about fifty yards in when she finally decided they had gone far enough. It would've been deathly silent if not for the hooting of a few nearby owls and the faint chirping of crickets. The heavy, thick air added to the already tense atmosphere. The overbearing trees completely blocked out the sun, making seem almost like night. Twilight could barely make out the faces of her friends in front of her. They all looked as depressed and distraught as ever, almost as if they were hoping that she was going to put them out of their misery or something. But there was now also a faint hint of intrigue in their eyes.

"Okay, Twi," Applejack began. "We're all here and we're all listening. Whaddya have ta tell us?"

Twilight thought for a moment. She had been going over how she was going to say what she had to tell them over and over in her head all morning. She still didn't feel like she was ready, but it was too late now. They were all here and waiting to hear what she had to say. She just had to do the best she could with what she had.

"Well, first off... how is everypony?" She asked sincerely.

Dash snorted loudly.

"Oh fuck that, Twilight! What the hay do you want?" She hissed.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity snapped. "Please, I-I'm not going to put up with this vulgarity today! I-I just... I can't do it!"

Dash just snorted again.

"Alright, you wanna know how I'm doing, Twi?" She began angrily. "Well, aside from the fact that I've lost my job, I'm no where closer to being in the Wonderbolts, I spent all of last night holding a butcher knife against my throat, and I'm literally seconds away from pumping semi-automatic rounds into anypony who so much as looks at me wrong... I guess I'm alright! You?"

Twilight supposed she deserved that. It was a stupid question. Why should she assume her friends would be any better today than they were yesterday? Shaking off her stupidity, she continued.

"Alright, first off... I need to know something from you all," she said. "Do you all trust me?"

Silence followed for a few moments. Nopony seemed to know what to say. They turned to each other, giving confused looks. Twilight felt she had to do a little prodding to get them to answer. She first turned to her fellow unicorn.

"Rarity?"

The fashionista stammered a bit at first.

"W-well... yes, of course I do," she managed to say, though she couldn't hide confusion.

"Applejack?" Twilight turned to the farmer pony.

"W-with mah life, Twi," she said.

"Rainbow Dash?"

Dash sighed heavily.

"Yeah, sure," she mumbled

"Fluttershy?"

'I-I guess," the pegasus squeaked.

That wasn't enough for Twilight.

"Yes or no, Shy?"

Fluttershy mouthed wordlessly for a moment, then answered in a whisper:

"Yes."

Finally, Twilight turned to sweet little Pinkie Pie, who now had a large bruise forming on her forehead that was barely visible in the dark. Twilight just looked at her, asking her wordlessly. Pinkie stared back at her, and for a brief moment, it appeared as though she was trying to smile again.

"You bet I do," she finally said quietly yet confidently.

Twilight, feeling a bit more at ease with Pinkie's slightly more exuberant answer, gave her friends another once over glance.

"So you all trust me?" she continued. "You all trust that I am a perfectly sane unicorn, completely capable of rational thought?"

Her friends all nodded, Applejack vocally saying "Yes."

"Alright then," Twilight said with a deep breath. "I didn't sleep too well last night. I imagine none of you did. I was... thinking a lot about our current problems, and I was thinking about how they're are all connected by one similarity: we all need bits. We are dealing with the possibility of losing farms, businesses, loved one, and the means to sustain ourselves. Now, there are a lot of options for dealing with this... but most of them will only help us temporarily," she paused. Now she was coming to the hard part. "Now, last night while I was laying awake in bed, I had... a different kind of idea. An idea that... I am frankly dead-set on seeing through. I wouldn't have even remotely considered this if there were any better option. But, I just... can't... think of anything else. Now, I can't force any of you to do anything you're not comfortable with, but-"

"Oh, sweet Celestia!" Rarity interrupted. "Please tell me you're not taking up prostitution!"

"What? No!" Twilight replied. "No, nothing like that! My idea is actually... a lot crazier than prostitution. I... I don't really no how to say it. I-it's just so..."

"Twi, maybe you should just come on out 'n say it," Applejack urged. "We all love ya, sugarcube, and we aint' gonna judge you for doing what you believe is right."

Twilight looked around, and her friends all nodded in agreement. She sighed again. Very well. If that was what they wanted...

"I want to visit the Bank of Equestria," she explained. "And... make a 'withdrawal' of sorts."

Her friends all gave her their most confused looks yet.

"Well, then you should go ahead and do that, darling," Rarity said. "I mean, if you have enough bits in your account then by all means make a withdrawal. I know that option won't work for me, though. I have very little in my savings account."

"I don't have much either," Fluttershy cooed.

"Same here," Applejack added.

"I don't even have an account," Pinkie explained. "Too many big words and weird bank mumbo-jumbo, it was all sooooo confusing! I kept all my bits in the piggy bank under my bed. That's the only kind of bank I understand!"

Rainbow Dash seemed to be the most irritated of all.

"Twi, I think we would've thought of something like that by now if we knew it would work!" She spat. "Is that why dragged us out here? To tell us to go to the bank? I oughta fuckin' beat your-"

"YOU GUYS!" Twilight roared, silencing the owls and crickets around them. "I'm talking about a different kind of withdrawal! One that's not... for lack of a better term... legal. I want to... I want to... ah fuck my life, I wanna rob the Bank of Equestria!"

The confused looks her friends gave her slowly faded to expressions of utmost horror. It would've been comical had the situation not been so serious. All of them seemed to be thinking that there was no way they could've heard her right. Twilight, sensing this, repeated herself.

"I want us to get together and pull off a bank heist! You heard me correctly!" She announced. "Now, like I said earlier: I can't force any of you into this. But whether I have all of you behind me or none of you, I _am _doing this! But I want you to know that without the support of my closest friends, it's likely I won't suceed. Now, I need to know what you all think of this. Please, share your thoughts."

Silence ensued Everypony was at a loss for words. But as Twilight continued to gage their reactions, she noticed something different about Rainbow Dash's. She definitely showed shock, but it wasn't fear that accompanied it. It was more like... excitement, and as it turned out, she was the first one to vocalize her opinion.

"Twilight, you are officially the single most badass pony in the history of Equestria!" She announced with vigor. "I- am- in!" She stepped forward, the others gazing at her in disbelief.

Twilight was had to admit that this was already going a lot better than she thought it would. She already had one of her friends on her side, and she didn't even have to go into too much detail over how she wanted to do it. She gave Dash a somewhat relieved smile and motioned the pegasus to come over closer to her. Dash did just that. Twilight leaned in close to her.

"R-really?" She said shakily. "Y-you want to do this, Dash?"

"Absolutely!" Dash replied. "I can't think of anything better! In fact, I've already thought of a good use for the bits I take: bribery! I know the Wonderbolts have a combined net worth of like sixty million bits, but everypony has a price. All I have to do is offer them an amount so insanely large that they'll have to take me in and boom! I'm set for life!"

"Alright then," Twilight said, feeling like she had just received a shot of adrenaline. "So, you want to-"

"WAIT JUST ONE APPLE BUCKIN' MINUTE!" Applejack roared, making all her friends jump at once. "Are you- what'r ya- do y'all have any idea how ridiculous this sounds? H-have ya lost yer mind, Twi?"

Twilight gave the earth pony a hardened glare.

"No, I haven't, AJ," she said. "I thought I made it clear to you all a moment ago that I am a still a perfectly sane and rationally thinking unicorn, and you all said you trusted me."

Well, yeah, but that was before you... you... you," Applejack stuttered.

"Honestly, darling, do you really think we are capable of such barbarism?" Rarity asked sounding utterly disgusted.

"Twilight, if this is a joke then it's not very funny," Pinkie Pie stepped in. "And I know a thing or two about what's funny."

Fluttershy managed to say everything she wanted with a rapid shake of her head and a weakly mumbled "No."

Now things were starting to go the way Twilight had expected them to. She supposed it was stupid of her to get her hopes up for simply getting one of them on her side so quickly. Rainbow Dash was now standing by her side, facing the other four.

"Are you guys serious?" Dash said to them. "Are you all just gonna give up? Just like that?"

"No I ain't," Applejack answered. "That farm was mah life, an' I ain't givin' up on it just like that! But I also ain't turning to somethin' as low as robbin' others! That just ain't right!"

"I agree wholeheartedly," Rarity chimed in. "I know it's been difficult for us recently, and that desperate times call for desperate measures, but there are certain acts that no matter how hard things get, I will not stoop to, and robbing a highly respected establishment is one of them. Honestly, I'm starting to wish it _was_ prostitution that you were suggesting."

Rainbow Dash scoffed and shook her head in disbelief.

"You guys are dicks," she sneered. "I can't belive that you won't just swallow your damn pride for a second and at least think about this. We've spent the past couple days bitchin' and moanin' about how unfair life has been to us. Then, when Twilight finally pulls us together and says 'let's do something about this' you all wanna flake out like pussies? Un-fuckin-believable! You all-"

"Dash, please let me handle this," Twilight said resolutely. She turned back to her friends. "Do you all have any better suggestions? What other ideas do you have? What were you all planning on doing today to help solve your problems?"

Applejack was the only pony who answered

"Well, Mac 'n I were lookin for some part time work today," she said. "Ah... suppose it would help us out a little bit, but... Ah just... aw consarnit, Twi, Ah still can't believe what yer sayin'! Where did this idea of yer's come from?"

Twilight thought for a moment. She supposed there would be no harm in explaining to the where she thought of this whole crazy thing. They might roll their eyes, but whatever. Twilight honestly didn't care.

"Well, if you must know, I was reading a book last night," she began.

"Pfft, big shock there," Dash remarked.

Twilight silenced her with a look, then continued.

"It was about these two ponies, a stallion and a mare, they were two lovers who lived in this world that was falling apart. So they turned to robbing banks. It was the only way they could get by. Now, and this is the crazy part, instead of everypony thinking they were evil or lowlifes or something, they were respected and adored tremendously. It was like they knew that the world around them had been cruel and unfair, so they thought 'why shouldn't we be any better?' Don't you all see the parallels between their situation and ours? We've all been royally screwed over! We didn't do anything to deserve this! We've done nothing but give and give and give for this land, and now we're all stuck in a desperate financial situation that we may not be able to get out of in any legal way! Would the ponies of Equestria really think so poorly of us if we took a slightly less tasteful way of righting a series of wrongs that were forced upon us?"

That little speech of Twilights didn't seem to do much for the four opposing ponies. Applejack in particular appeared to be even more disgusted.

"If ya ask me, Twi, any book that'd make ya think like that oughta be banned," she said.

Twilight, being extremely anti-censorship, just about got right up in Applejacks face.

"It was a well written book, AJ! It dealt with issues of the failings of government and the will of the citizenship to not falter no matter how hard it gets! I would gladly testify to its redeeming social merit in any court in Equestria! But I guess in order for somepony like _you_ to understand those kinds of feelings you would actually read at least one book in your lifetime!"

It took all of Applejacks inner strength to keep from bucking Twilight right through a damn tree.

"Them's fightin' words with me, Twi!" She yelled.

Before it could get any uglier, Fluttershy intervened by stepping between the two.

"Please stop, both of you," she begged, close to a sob. "Please, I can't take anymore hatred between us! Please just stop, please!"

The sight of one of the kindest ponies in the land breaking down like this was enough to cool Twilight and Applejack down a bit. They breathed it off for moment, then slowly stepped back to their respective sides. Rainbow Dash and Twilight both stared back at their four other friends. Even though she had told them she wasn't going to force them into any situation that they weren't comfortable with, she didn't want to give up until they were all on her side. She just couldn't even begin to imagine attempting something as insane as this without the aid of all five of her closest friends.

"I'm sorry, AJ," she started up again. "That was really low of me to take that shot, and I apologize. I don't want any of you to think I'm standing against you, and I don't want any of you standing against me."

Rainbow Dash leaned it towards Twilight at that point.

"Twi, as the Element of Loyalty, I want you to know that you have my complete and unyielding support. Whatever it is you want to do, I'll back you up," she said profoundly.

"Rainbow Dash," Rarity snapped irritably. "Being the Element of Loyalty doesn't mean that you are to be specifically loyal only to Twilight! It means you are to be loyal to all of us! And not just us, but your fans and admirers as well! Think of young Scootaloo, for Celestia's sake!"

Dash looked confused.

"What about her?" She asked.

"The little ragamuffin worships you!" Rarity replied.

"Heh heh, I know she does," Dash said with a smirk.

"Well, what would she have to say if she knew her idol was involved with a bank robbery? She'd probably assume that kind of lifestyle choice is okay! She'd throw away a perfectly good life in exchange for a life of crime, and you'd be the one to blame!"

"Well, who say's she has to know about this?" Dash snapped back. "Who say's anypony has to know about this? We're gonna be disguised aren't we? That's how robberies are done, right? Bunch of ponies run in with ski masks or masks of Princess Celestia, waving semi-automatics around until everypony does what they say? We can totally do this, guys! I know we can! And nopony will be the wiser!"

"NO!" Applejack roared. "Ah've had just 'bout enough of this, Twi!"

"Why not, AJ?" Twilight stepped in. "Why won't you at least consider it?"

"Why not?" Applejack repeated in shock. "Because... because... it's wrong! It's dishonest! It ain't right! There ain't nothin' kind, generous, honest, funny, loyal, or magical about it! And in case you may've fergotten, Twi... WE ARE THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY! HAR-MO-NY! IS THERE ANYTHING HARMONOUS ABOUT DOIN' WHAT YER SUGGESTING? NO THERE AIN'T!" A brief silence followed, Applejack being completely oblivious to the fact that Twilight was about to explode on them. "Now Ah made mah livin' through good, honest hard work, 'cause that's the Element Ah represent. Now, Ah-"

"WELL WAS THERE ANYTHING HONEST ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, APPLEJACK?" Twilight screamed louder than she ever had before in her life, terrifying the hay out of her friends. She rounded on Rarity next. "IS THERE ANYTHING GENEROUS ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS TURNING YOU DOWN IN YOUR MOMENT OF NEED JUST BECAUSE YOU FAIL TO DELIVER ONE MEASLY TIME?" She faced a badly shaking Fluttershy next. "IS IT AT ALL KIND TO PUT SUCH A HIGH PRICE ON THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE?" And finally, Pinkie Pie. "IS THERE ANYTHING FUNNY ABOUT DRIVING AN ENTIRE BUSINESS INTO THE GROUND OVER A SIMPLE CASE OF FOOD POISONING?" Twilight's purple face was starting to go red. "ELEMENTS OF HARMONY, MY ASS! TRUE HARMONY PROBABLY DOESN'T EXIST! RAINBOW DASH IS THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO SEEMS TO GET IT! SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO SEEMS TO REALIZE HOW MEANINGLESS THAT TITLE IS!" Dash tried to look proud, even though she couldn't hide the buckling of her legs. "NOW MAYBE THERE ARE OTHER SOLUTIONS TO OUR PROBLEMS, AND MAYBE THEY WOULD WORK OUT WELL ENOUGH IN TIME, BUT THAT'S THE CATCH ISN'T IT? 'IN TIME' EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT 'IN TIME!' WELL I DON'T HAVE TIME! ROBBING THE BANK OF EQUESTRIA IS THE FASTEST SOLUTION I COULD COME UP WITH, AND THOUGH YOU ALL MAY DENY IT, IT'S FASTEST SOLUTION FOR YOU ALL TOO! I HAVE NEITHER THE TIME NOR INCLINATION TO WORK SOME SHITTY PART TIME JOB FOR TEN BITS AN HOUR IN THE HOPES OF ONE DAY HAVING ENOUGH FOR A NEW HOME! I'M DOING THIS ROBBERY BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S THE BEST SOLUTION! MAYBE NOT THE PRETTIEST, BUT THE BEST! AFTER ALL, I HAVE A BABY DRAGON TO THINK ABOUT!" She paused there for a minute, catching her breath. "IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY SHRED OF LOVE FOR THE OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THESE RECENT HORRORS, YOU'LL TAKE MY IDEA INTO ACCOUNT!"

Twilights forelegs collapsed under her as she began to breathe heavily. Nopony spoke. They were all stunned to silence. Twilight wasn't even able to see their reactions due to her face being practically buried into the earth. Minutes passed. Twilights breathing was soon brought under control, and it was at that moment that she heard hoofsteps approaching her. She slowly gazed up to see Fluttershy standing above her. She was looking down at Twilight with a single tear sliding down her cheek. Twilight stared up at her intently, having no idea what the pegasus was going to say. Eventually, Shy's mouth slowly opened and she uttered two words:

"I'm in."

"Fluttershy!" Applejack cried out in shock.

The shy young pony had already taken her place next to Twilight. She stared back intensely at the other three.

"I'm not gonna lose my Angel," she stated with a air of finality. "Those pills I've been giving him will keep him going for a couple more weeks at most; after that he's living on borrowed time. I can't wait any longer. I'm _won't _wait any longer. I don't care what I have to do, I'm not losing him!"

Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Shy's shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"We're gonna save him, Fluttershy," she said reassuringly, her voice a little raspy. "You can count on it."

Now it was three on three. Two pegasi and a unicorn against two earth ponies and another unicorn. Twilight first turned to the very nervous looking Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie, I've had food poisoning before," she began. "It was long before I met you all. I don't know exactly what it was that caused it, maybe some bad hay, but I won't lie to you: it was pretty bad. Believe me when I say that toilet was ground zero when I was finished with it." For the first time in a while, Pinkie managed a smile. "But you know what I was doing when it finally passed? I was laughing over it! I wasn't traumatized or looking to sue everypony responsible! I moved on very quickly! Now, why couldn't some rich big shot do that? Just laugh about it and move on? Sure, it may have spoiled a marriage -that probably would've ended in divorce knowing those rich types- but was that any reason for them to ruin you and the two ponies who have been more like a mother and father to you than your actual parents -and I'm sorry, I know you don't like to talk about them- but I'm trying to make a point here."

"Pinkie, please don't get caught up in this," Applejack pleaded, only to be hushed by the pink party pony so Twilight could continue.

"These rich types," Twilight said. "They trot all over ponies of lesser means because they think being richer makes them better. Now, do you know that a majority of the money in these banks belongs to those rich types? Don't you want to make them pay? Don't you want to be the one to have the last laugh? Don't you want to make it up to Mr. and Mrs. Cake?" She paused, then leaned in closer. "Think of this as just another party."

And those words seemed to do it. After all, Pinkie had told herself that she would do _anything _to make things right again, and a bank robbery definitely was _something. _And, well... maybe this _would _be like another party. Anything could be a party to Pinkie Pie, after all. She slowly stepped over to join Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"Okie-dokie-lokie," she said with the faintest hint of chipper in her voice and the ghost of a smile on her face.

Applejack stared at them all with reproach. She knew she was losing now. She turned to look at Rarity, and even she was starting to look a little eager.

"Not you, Rare," she pleaded. "C'mon, not you too."

"Rarity," Twilight prodded. "If not for us, then do it for your sister."

The fashon unicorns thoughts drifted to Sweetie Belle, her dear sister, whom she loved more than anything. Horrifying thoughts of her being taken away filled Rarity's head. Thoughts of her being sent to some foster home where the parents were sick, abusive psycho's who had put on a respectable face to the public but would secretly molest and beat her any chance they could. Those thoughts were too much for Rarity's fragile heart to handle. To Applejack's horror, she slowly stepped forward.

"I'm doing this for Sweetie Belle," she said resolutely. "No other reason would drive me to this aside from her safety and well-being."

Now... there were five, and Applejack was starting to look defeated. Twilight knew now that the farmer was close to breaking. All it would take now was the proper encouragement.

"AJ," Rainbow Dash started. "C'mon. Come join your friends."

"We hafta stick together, Applejack," Pinkie persuaded.

"Think of how much easier it'll be to rebuild your farm with all the bits we can get from this," Fluttershy said encouragingly.

"It may not be pretty, but I think that it may do us a world of good in the long run," Rarity added.

"You have a family to think of, AJ," Twilight stepped in. "They need you now more than ever. Do this for them, AJ. Give them their lives back."

And at long last, Applejack appeared to have been reached. She always was a stubborn one, but even she had a point where she had to break down admit defeat, and right now, she was just about there. Twilight was absolutely right. Her family was depending on her. But there was one more thing she wanted to know before she gave herself over to Twilight.

"How did that book o' yers end, Twi?" She asked. "What happened ta them two ponies?"

Twilight cringed a bit as she recalled the rather grisly end that Bonnie and Clydesdale met.

"Well, they got... careless, you see, and they... they weren't thinking properly... and..." Twilight stammered a bit before gathering herself again. "Look, that's not going to happen with us, alright? We're gonna be smart about this; we're not gonna get reckless; we're not gonna burst into every bank, shop and liquor store in Equestria firing guns blindly into the air with 'Born to be Wild' tattoos on our chests. All we need is one good score... that's all. We'll plan this out thoroughly; we'll go over every last detail with a fine-toothed comb... and we're gonna pull this off. Together, we can do this."

Applejack thought about it a moment longer. Twilight sounded so sure, and she had never steered them wrong before. The encouraging looks of her friends were almost luring her in like a sirens song. Finally, AJ could bear it no longer. This would be for her family.

"May Celestia have mercy on me," she muttered, and stepped over to join her friends.

WIthout warning, Twilight threw her forelegs around the farmer pony and held her tight. She buried her face into her mane and nuzzled it gently. She just wanted her to know that there was no shame in what she was doing; that they were all in the same boat, and that no matter what happened they would stick together, to the death if it came to that.

It was a few moments before Twilight felt AJ's forelegs fasten themselves around her and squeeze her tightly. Moments later they felt another set of forelegs around them. Twilight turned to see that Pinkie Pie had joined the hug. She moved back a little to let her squeeze in better. Soon Rarity had moved in on them, then Fluttershy. Finally, and with a slight roll of her eyes, Rainbow Dash got in as well.

The six ponies just held each other in the profound silence of the Everfree forest. None of them dared speak; none of them dared ruin this beautiful moment in an otherwise dim situation. They held each other tightly, just wanting each other to know how much they were loved by their friends, and no matter what, they were in this together 'til the very end.

When they finally broke apart, they all formed a small circle, some of them wobbling a bit from leaning on each other for so long. Twilight looked them all over, breathing shakily.

"So," she began. "Now that we're all in this, do we agree to no backing out?" They all nodded. "Do we all swear to keep this strictly between us six?" They nodded again. "Pinkie-Pie Swear?" They all did the little chant. "Alright, now as I said earlier, this is going to take a lot of planning. Believe it or not, Dash, but robbing a bank is much more than just running in wearing a mask and waving a gun around. It requires skill, cunning, intimidation, and -I can't stress this enough- lots and lots of planning. We're gonna have to take our time figuring out what we're gonna do and how we're gonna do it, and if we play our proverbial cards right we should be able to avoid resorting to doing anything unthinkable like killing or maiming anypony. Do you all understand?" They nodded.

"So, when exactly do you want to hit the bank, Twi? Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight thought for a moment, then sighed heavily.

"Well, here's the thing, guys," she said. "I don't think it would be wise of us to attempt a robbery on the bank here in Ponyville. We're too well known here; we have too many friends and family here. No disguise would be able to would fool anypony around here." She paused in thought for a moment. "I'm afraid we'll have to take a trip to another city."

Twilight had been dreading having to tell her friends that, and indeed they did look a bit irked, but not as much as she thought they would. In fact, they seemed to be thinking of other cities they could try.

"How about Cloudsdale?" Fluttershy suggested. "It's not too far, and we know it fairly well."

"Shy, no offense, but that's a pretty stupid idea," Dash interjected. "Maybe you guy's aren't too well known there, but I... kinda am." She suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed. "You see after my recent little fuck up with the Wonderbolts, I... kiiiinda raged through the city and, you know... freaked a lot of ponies out. Believe me, if anypony is seen running down the streets firing an AK 47 like psycho, I'm the first pony they're gonna suspect."

The others all rolled their eyes. Typical Dash.

"Okay, we'll scratch off Cloudsdale," Twilight said irritably. "Any other ideas."

"Perhaps Las Pegasus?" Rarity chimed in. "I've always wanted to see that city."

Dash suddenly seemed excited.

Yeah! Maybe we could rob a casino instead! I'll bet they carry some heavy bits!" She said.

Twilight looked skeptical.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she explained. "Casino robberies seem a lot more complicated. Besides, half of the casinos and banks there are like mob owned or something. We wouldn't want them to come after us. They're some sick ponies from what I hear. They'd give us all slow, painful deaths for sure."

The others all seemed to agree. They thought some more. Then Pinkie Pie chimed in with what Twilight would consider the worst idea of them all.

"Canterlot!" She squealed. "That would probably be a good place! We all know it well enough!"

"No way, Pinkie!" Twilight cried aghast. "That's too close to Celestia and Luna! The last thing we'd want is to bring them down on us! They'd be worse than the mob! We'd be finished in a heartbeat!"

"Well, hang on Twi. Pinkie's on to something here," Dash interjected. "It's true that we know the city well enough, and would Celestia really expect something like this to happen right under her nose? It seems pretty clever to hit the city she'd least suspect."

"Dash, she's not stupid," Twilight replied. "Celestia and Luna don't mess around when it comes to protecting their city. If either of them were come across a group of ponies in ski masks holding up a bank, they'd rip 'em apart in a flash! If not them, then the royal guard! I just... I don't want to risk it."

Dash groaned.

"Alright, fearless leader, whatever you say," She said with another roll of her eyes.

Twilight then noticed that Pinkie appeared to be a bit embarrassed by her suggestion.

"Pinkie, I'm sorry," she apologized, giving her friend a gentle pat on the back of her neck. "I know you're just trying to help, but we have to be careful about this. This is probably the most dangerous thing we've ever undertaken, and we have to think it though thoroughly. Canterlot is simply out of the question."

Pinkie seemed to understand well enough now, and she gave Twilight a pat of her own. There was no animosity between them.

"Alrighty then," Applejack started. "What other cities are there? Fillydelphia? Baltimare? Manehatten?"

Twilight raised her hoof there to stop her.

"Manehatten..." she said thoughtfully. "You've spent some time there, havent you, AJ?"

Applejack thought for a moment.

"Yeah, Ah lived there with some relatives in mah youth," she explained. "Was a while back, though, and Ah ain't been there since. Ah imagine it's changed some since then."

"Um, I've visited Manehatten quite frequently myself, for fashion expos and such," Rarity came in.

The others all turned to her.

"What can you tell us about it?" Twilight asked.

"Well," Rarity began. "It is quite massive, and it's certainly a more technologically advanced city than our little Ponyville. They have taken a significantly more pervasive use of electricity than most other cities. This would most definitely include security measures for banks and such. Also, they have these modes of transportation there that most of us haven't really seen around here. They're called... cars I believe."

"Oh yeah," Rainbow Dash interrupted. "I've heard of those things. They're supposed to be this new way of helping earth ponies travel long distances in much shorter times. I hear that they're being introduced to more and more cities in Equestria. They're expected to replace carriages within the next few years or so."

"Indeed," Rarity continued. "Anyways, there are many other technological marvels in Manehatten that I can't even begin to list. We'd be here all night if I tried to."

Twilight though about this for a moment. As different as Manehatten sounded, it seemed like best option thus far.

"Well, I'll tell you, guys," she said. "Manehatten is sounding like a pretty safe bet to me. Rarity seems familiar enough with it; it's well out of Celestia's way... I say we go for it there."

"Are you sure, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. "It sounds like a very confusing place. I don't really like those kinds of cities. And, well um, if the bank there has security measures we've never heard of before..."

"Shy, I know a thing or two about electricity," Twilight replied. "There are ever spells I know that can manipulate electrical current and scramble circuits and whatnot. And, as I've said a few times now: we're going to plan this out before we do anything too crazy. We're not gonna storm the bank until we know what we're dealing with and how we're going to deal with it. Alright?"

"Oh-okay," Fluttershy squeaked. "If you say so, Twilight. I trust you."

Twilight nodded. She then turned to her other friends to get their opinions. They had to agree unanimously on everything. It was only fair.

"Dash?" She asked.

"Sounds good to me," the pegasus answered. "I've flown over Manehatten a few time. Doesn't look like anything I can't handle."

"Pinkie?"

"Okie-dokie-pokie," Pinkie said sounding more chipper than she had in a long while.

"Rarity?"

"I suppose," she said with a sigh.

"Applejack?"

"Might as well," she shrugged.

"Alright then," Twilight announced. "It's official: we're hitting the Manehatten branch. Now, our next predicament is: how do we get there? As far as I know, no trains run through Manehattan. I haven't mastered teleportation yet, particularily not for long distances, and even if I had I can't teleport somewhere I've never been, so... suggestions?"

Once again, they all took some time to think.

"Dash could possibly fly us all there one by one," Rarity suggested.

"Are you kidding, Rare," Dash sneered. "That'd tire me out too quickly. It'd probably take a few days also. Hauling heavy weight around slows me down significantly -no offense, guys- and on top of that it would be uncomfortable for you guys. I know that for a fact. And you'd have to wait for me to get everypony there before we could like... start exploring the city and junk, so... yeeeeeaaaah, not gonna work. And I don't think Fluttershy's up to it either."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

"I'm not very strong," she cooed.

"Okay, we'll cross that idea off," Twilight said.

"How 'bout one o' them charter carriages that leaves Ponyville ev'ry other day. It'd be somethin' like a day trip ah believe," Applejack said hopefully.

"No way," Dash shot the idea down. "Those things cost like fifty bits a pony. I'm not shelling out that much to ride on one of those over-crowded, smelly crap traps. Besides, nothin' but total creepers on those things anyway."

"Ugh, I know what you mean," Rarity said. "My cousin took one of them back from Fillydelphia a while back and she was constantly being watched by this old perverted stallion as she puts it. When she got off her followed her around for nearly an hour before she lost him."

"Oooohh, creepy-weepy," Pinkie Pie said with a shiver.

"Tell me about it," Rarity mumbled.

"Okay," Twilight began. "So... it sounds to me like the only option we're leaving ourselves is walking. The only question is how long that will take us. Any ideas?"

"Ah'd say maybe three days at the most," Applejack answered. "Maybe two 'n a half if we hurry. It don't seem like too hard of walk. A few ups and downs here 'n there, but ah don't think it's anything we can't handle. Can't be worse than Dragon Rock Mountain. "

Rarity grimaced.

"Oh, darling, you realize were going to be completely miserable at the end of it, don't you?" She moaned. "We'll be tired and dirty and sweaty and... oh, even a full day at the spa won't be enough!"

"Sugarcube, Ah've been haulin' carts full o' apples inta Ponyville damn near ev'ry day fer past several years. Ah can handle a walk ta Manehatten with mah eyes shut."

"We don't seem to have any other option, Rarity," Twilight added. "If we bring enough supplies with us: food, water, something soft to for each of us to sleep on, we should be fine. There should be a few general stores scattered along the way; we can pick up some food and supplies there if need be. I don't think we'll be able to afford any hotels though, so we'll probably just have to set up a camp or something on the side of the road at night. Are we all okay with this?"

It took significantly longer for her friends to nod this time. Rarity in particular looked as though she had just been issued a death sentence. Eventually though, they did all nod, and that was that.

"Alright," Twilight continued. "So, we know where we're going and how we're gonna get there. We estimate a three day journey to Manehatten, and I would give us at least a week or so to plan and prepare, maybe less depending on how quickly we pick it up. I'd say this whole thing could take us maybe twelve to thirteen days. Now, I think it's best we head out as soon as possible. I want to get this over with quickly, so... maybe tomorrow morning?"

surprisingly nopony seemed to have a problem with this. Why should they? They had nothing else going on.

"Okay then," Twilight said. "We should take what time we have left today get our affairs in order with our families and loved ones. Oh, and we absolutely canNOT tell them where we're going. We need to avoid as much suspicion as possible. That's another reason why the charter carriage would be a bad idea: it goes right through the middle town on it's way out. Anypony who would see us on there would know where we were going. Can't risk that. So, here's what we'll tell them: we're taking a road trip to help clear our thoughts. We're not going anywhere in particular, we just need to get away for a while. Can we all stick to that story?"

The group nodded.

"Good," Twilight was starting to look tired. "Now, I can send Spike up to Canterlot for the time. Celestia can look after him, and she should believe my story just fine. She trusts me after all. What about the rest of you?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Cake probably won't care that I need to go away for a while," Pinkie said. "They always let me do whatever I want. They're so nice."

"I got nothin' to worry about," Dash said a bit braggingly. "Nopony will probably even know I'm gone. I can let Tank out into the wild until I get back. He oughta be fine."

"I'll need somepony to look after Sweetie Belle while I'm gone," Rarity said. "I'm certainly _not_ sending her off to mother and fathers for reasons I'd rather not go into right now, so..." she trailed off there.

"She'd be more 'n welcome at the farm," Applejack offered. "Ah'm sure Applebloom'd be happy ta have her."

Rarity appeared grateful, though also a bit concerned.

"Are you sure, dear?" She asked.

"Absolutely," AJ replied. "Mac's a tough stallion; he can handle thing's on his own, Ah'm sure. Apple Bloom's been learnin' a thing 'r two about helpin' out around the farm. They should be fine without me fer a while. 'Sides, it's fer the best... ah s'pose."

"Well," Fluttershy came in. "I need somepony to keep my animals fed and watered, and to make sure that Angel takes his pills and is comfortable."

"Ah think Mac can help us out there again," Applejack said. "Winona had somthin' like bloat a while back. We caught it early, though, and we we're able ta stop it 'fore it got bad enough to require surgery. He knows a think 'r two about it. If ah put in a word with 'im, he oughta be more'n happy ta stop by and check up on lil' Angel once in a while."

Fluttershy looked close to tears.

"Oh, what a dear he is," she said. "We'll have to find a proper way to thank him for this."

"Hey," Dash stepped in. "We're gonna be bringing home a whoppin' pile of bits. That oughta be more than enough thanks." She paused in thought for a moment. "Just how many bits are we hoping to come away with anyway?"

"We'll worry about that later, Dash," Twilight said. "We''ll worry about what we're going to do, how we're going to do it, and how we're going to explain to everypony why we suddenly have such a massive quantity of bits when we come home... when we come to those issues. For now, there's just one more thing we need to get out of the way before we head back: where we're gonna stay when we get there. We can't afford any hotels, so we're probably gonna have to hide out somewhere; an abandoned factory or tenement perhaps."

"There oughta be a few places down on the docks by the river that ain't in use," Applejack said. "We could try there."

"Sounds like a definite possibility," Twilight replied. I guess we'll just have to see what happens when we get there."

Rarity once again looked disappointed. Maybe she was hoping that they would get chance to stay at one of Manehatten's luxurious hotels. But she knew better; they were barely scraping by as it was.

"So I guess that's it?" Dash said after a prolonged silence.

"Is for now," Twilight answered. "Let's all go back home and explain our situation to everypony. Remember the story we agreed to and just stick with it no matter what. Pack lightly; just some food and blankets should be enough. We'll meet up at Sweet Apple Acres since it's on the outskirts of Ponyville and we'll take off from there. I want to be on the road by at least 9:30. That okay with everypony?"

And for the final time that day, the ponies all nodded. They felt no need at all to question Twilight. Deep down, they did indeed all trust her with their lives. It was all set now. They were ready to follow her right off the edge of the cliffs of sanity.

"We're really doing this, aren't we?" Fluttershy whispered. "I can't believe it."

"The Elements of Harmony are about to become the Elements of Disharmony," Rainbow Dash said profoundly, with a slight sense of pride.

Nopony spoke after that. They all just silently took in their new unofficial title. It had a disturbingly nice ring to it. After a moment, they all turned away without a word and left the Everfree forest. They sky above them was now starting to turn orange, signifying that it was late afternoon. They must've been hugging for longer than they had thought. Time had seemed to stand still during that moment.

They began to separate as they made their way towards their individual homes, each one bidding goodnight to the others before breaking off. Eventually Twilight found herself alone again. She hoped with all her might that her friends would all have success with their cover stories. She went over and over in her head what she would say to Celestia in her letter explaining that Spike was being sent to her for a while because she needed some alone time to think things over. There was no reason for her to be suspicious was there? She knew Twilight would never lie to her didn't she? Sure she did, she always trusted Twilight, and that thought almost made young unicorn feel ashamed of herself that she was about to betray that trust. The key word there being 'almost.'

"Elements of Disharmony," Twilight said quietly to herself as she came up to the Ponyville inn.

She had to admit she was starting to like the sound of that name.

* * *

_**Well, that chapter wiped me the hell out! Hope it was good enough for ya'll! Thanks again for all the nice words! Leave more reviews please! I really appreciate them! More soon!**_


	5. Saying Their Goodbyes

**Chapter Five:**

**Saying Their Goodbyes**

Twilight frantically threw everything she deemed necessary for her trip into a medium-sized leather bag. Her books, some of the crappy food from the buffet downstairs (it was better than nothing), and a large packet full of water with a clear plastic tube protruding from it that came up to where Twilights mouth was, a blanket and a soft foam pad for her to sleep on. It wasn't much, but she wanted to travel light. She didn't want to have to haul around fifty pound of weight for three days; she'd be dead tired within a few hours it that was the case. She was wiped out enough as it was, having spent another sleepless night in a filthy, uncomfortable bed. Behind her stood Spike, holding his own little bag of provisions. It was 7:00 am and he was dead tired. He had never been up that early before. Even more so, he was confused.

"I'm at a loss here, Twi. I really am," he said. "Why exactly are you sending me to Canterlot again?"

"I already told you, Spike, I need some alone time," Twilight explained in annoyance. "I need to get away for a while and think things over, that's all."

"Yeah, I know you already told me, but I'm still having trouble buying it," Spike said, starting to sound annoyed himself. "Put yourself in my position: It's three days after the worst tragedy we've ever experienced, we're both really freaked out and depressed, then all of a sudden you decide to run off to have some 'alone time' while sending me off to be babysat by Celestia. Can you blame me for being a little curious about things? Like, where are you going for one thing?"

"I don't know," Twilight answered.

"Well how long are you going to be gone?" Spike asked.

"I don't know," Twilight answered again. "Maybe a week or so. Possibly longer."

"A week?" Spike cried. "We've never been apart for that long! Why can't I come with you?"

"Because this is something I need to do on my own," Twilight replied. "Besides, it's too late now. I already sent the letter to Princess Celestia and she agreed to look after you. The carriage will be here soon."

"Well why Canterlot?" Spike shot at her. "Why do I have to go all the way there? Can't I just stay with Rarity or something? She's closer."

"Rarity's coming with me," Twilight said. "It's gonna be me, her and my other girlfriends. We're just taking a bit of a road trip, alright? We've been through a lot recently and we need to have some time to ourselves, you know, to clear our heads and all. It's a health thing."

Spike just stood there looking somewhat slack-jawed. Twilight had seriously been dreading this. She knew he wasn't going to accept this sudden change of plans has quickly as she would've liked. She had hoped she would be wrong. They stood there in silence for a moment before Spike spoke up again.

"Why do I feel like you're keeping me out of the loop here?" His voice was a bit calmer, though it had lost none of its urgency. "Why do I feel like you're trying to get rid of me? I've had a lot on my mind too! I almost died for cryin' out loud! Why can't I come with you?"

"Because," was all Twilight said.

"Because why?" Spike prodded further, his voice starting to rise again.

"Because I said so!" Twilight shouted at him. He was really becoming a danger to her sanity now.

Spike stomped his clawed foot in rage.

"That's not a good enough answer! I wanna know why I can't come with you!"

That was the line. Her horn glowed as she hit him with a burst of magic, pinning him against the wall. Spikes eyes were suddenly wide with fear as his normally peaceful friend got right up in his face.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME LOSE MY TEMPER?" She roared. "BECAUSE I AM SECONDS AWAY FROM PUTTING YOU THROUGH THE DAMN WALL! YOU ARE MY ASSISTANT, SPIKE! THAT MEANS YOU DO WHAT I SAY WHEN I SAY IT! YOU'RE NOT COMING WITH ME! YOU'RE GOING TO CANTERLOT AND THAT'S FINAL!"

A loud pounding came from the other side of the wall.

"Keep it down in there! It's 7:00 am!" shouted a muffled voice from the next room.

With a roar of frustration Twilight pounded her hoof into the wall inches from Spikes head, almost putting a hole in it.

"GO BACK TO FUCKING YOUR WHORE!" She screamed into it.

The raging unicorn turned back to Spike, who was now trembling with fear. Tears were rolling down his cheeks and he was whimpering like a hurt dog. Right then and there Twilights rage began to fade, replaced by horror and shame at the way she had just acted. She had never been this angry before in her life. She was homeless, jobless, and now on the way to committing an act that would make her a criminal. She had been so caught up in that thought recently that she had forgotten that Spike was just as much a victim here as she was, maybe even more so. As the tears began to form in her own eyes she slowly and gently let him down, and before he could make any movement, she threw her forelegs around him and pulled him into the tightest hug she had ever given. He didn't back, and Twilight didn' blame him.

"I'm sorry, Spike," she sobbed. "I'm sorry for everything. I-I've just been so angry these past few days. Everythings been happening so fast, and... and I just... I just need some time..." she trailed off.

Now, she began to feel the young dragons arms slowly wrap themselves around her neck. They tightened more and more the longer they stood there.

"I'm sorry too, Twilight," he murmured. "I don't mean to pester you all the time. I-I'm just... scared. I'm really scared."

Twilight let her forelegs fall away from him then backed up so she could look him in the eye.

"I'm scared too, Spike," she said sincerely. "I've never been more scared in my whole life." She paused for a moment. "But... I think this trip is really going to do me some good. And I think in the end it'll do you some good as well."

Spike looked confused again.

"How will it do me any good if I'm not going?" He asked, not angrily.

For one brief moment, Twilight seriously considered telling him what was really going on. She considered telling him that she and her friends were about to attempt an armed robbery at the Bank of Equestria in Manehatten, and that has brutal and cruel as it may be, it would make their lives so much easier in the end. It had to be done.

"Spike," she began. "What if I told you that... that there was a way to solve our current crisis very quickly and efficiently? But... it's a solution that's a little... unorthodox."

The little dragon stared at her intently.

"Just what are you up to, Twilight?" He asked.

And right then and there, Twilight changed her mind. It would do more harm then good if Spike knew what she was planning. He would worry about her the whole time, and Twilight had made it clear to him that she didn't ever want him doing that. And there was always the possibility that he might break down and tell Celestia, and that would simply be the end of everything.

She couldn't tell him, but now she had piqued his curiosity. She had to back out of this some way.

"All I can say is... I have to do this, Spike," she finally said. "Maybe some day, far off from today, I'll tell you everything, and maybe by that point I'll be able to look back on it and laugh. But for now, I need you to just trust me. I promise that things will be better for us when I come back."

Amazingly, that seemed to be enough. Spike just nodded, then looked down into his little bag, checking over everything he was bringing with him. He was still curious; Twilight could definitely sense that, but he seemed to understand by now to just trust her judgement, and that she whatever she did, she did for the best. He looked up at her again after a while. He was once again wearing a look of curiosity on his face.

"Hey, Twi?" he said. "You never did tell me what Celestia said in her letter to you from a couple nights ago."

Twilight sighed. She was hoping he would've forgotten that by now.

"She... said she wanted me to figure out how to solve this on my own," she said hesitantly. "And that's exactly what I'm gonna do."

"So, she's not gonna bail us out of this or something?" Spike asked.

"No, Spike, she isn't. And even if she was, I wouldn't accept it," Twilight lied.

"W-why not?'

Because," Twilight thought for a moment. "I'm a grown unicorn. I'm fully capable of managing myself. And besides... she's not my mother, Spike. It's not her responsibility to... to take care of me."

"I know that," Spike said quietly. "But... we all need help sometimes, Twilight." He thought for a moment. "What about your actual mother? Does she know about this? Couldn't you at least ask her for help?"

Twilight turned away at that question. She closed her eyes, but not in thought. She looked more like she was trying to hide something, and Spike could tell from her slightly trembling lower lip that it was best that he didn't push this subject further.

"The carriage should be here soon," she finally said. "Make sure you have everything you need and we'll head downstairs."

Spike just nodded and gave one more quick glance into his bag.

"I'm set," he said simply.

With that, Twilight backed away to allow Spike room pass her. As he headed for the door, he suddenly felt something soft come into contact with his hind-quarters. It passed under his legs and lifted the little fella off the ground. It was Twilights head, and as she lifted it all the way up, Spike slowly slid down her neck and onto her back next to her leather bag. She continued on out the door and headed down the hallway towards the stairs. As she descended them, she felt the baby dragon wrap his arms around her neck and hold onto her tightly. She assumed he was just worried about falling off, but when she got to the bottom, he didn't let go. He was holding her as tightly as ever, and Twilight was sure he was nuzzling into her as well.

Twilight continued past the front desk where she would check out in a little while and headed outside. Twilight sighed in relief when she saw the image of a large golden carriage being pulled by two pegasi off in the distance of the expanse of dimly lit sky and heading right for them. At least now she knew she didn't have to wait long. The airborne carriage circled the inn once then gracefully came into contact with the ground, pulling right up in front of the lavender unicorn and her dragon. One of the pegasi gave a friendly smile to the two.

"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully. "We're here for the dragon, right?"

"Yeah, he's all set," Twilight said.

With her magic she opened the door to the carriage and trotted over to it. She bent her head a little to allow Spike to slide forward through the door. Before sitting down, Spike turned around to make his final goodbye, as well as clear up a few more things.

"So, you're just gonna go wherever the road takes you, huh?" He said.

"Something like that," Twilight replied somewhat ambiguously. "Now, are you sure you have everything you need? I don't want you getting all the way to Canterlot and realizing you forgot something."

"Yeah, I've pretty much triple checked myself by now," Spike said with a bit of annoyance.

"Alright, alright," Twilight said with a bit of a smile. "Just making sure."

The two stared at each other for a few minutes, during that time Twilight had the horrible sensation that she would never see her beloved assistant again. She tried to shake that feeling, tried to tell herself to stop being so pessimistic, but the truth was she had no idea how the events of the next week or so would play out. She knew that no matter how carefully she planned everything out, no matter how meticulously she went over every last detail, anything could happen, anything could go wrong. She didn't want to think about it, but there was a very real chance that she and her friends could be killed, leaving behind family, pets and various other loved ones.

For one brief second, Twilight considered calling the whole thing off. Just saying "screw it" and finding another way. But then she reminded herself that there was no other way, or at least no other way that would work as well as this. She already had her friends backing her up, they were all probably not willing to back out now, they were just going to have to see it through. In the end, with all they had been through, they would probably be glad that they took the initiative to do this.

Twilight just had to stay positive. If she could at least do that, there would be a better chance of her coming home safely and seeing Spike again. Almost instinctively, she pulled the little dragon into another big hug, bigger than any she had ever given him. He hugged her back tightly.

"Everything's going to be okay, Spike," Twilight whispered. "I will save us."

"I know you will," Spike whispered back. "You always do."

The two slowly broke apart, and Twilight took a few steps back from the carriage. Her eyes never tore away from his.

"I love you," Spike said quietly.

"I love you too, Spike," Twilight responded. "And I want you to know that I couldn't ask for a better assistant. I mean that."

Spike smiled vaguely, then went to go sit down on one of the soft cushioned seats inside the carriage. As he got comfortable, he bowed his head and quietly whispered to himself: "Please be careful, mom."

The carriage door swung closed, and Twilight gave one of the pegasi a nod, signifying that they were cleared to go.

"Take care, miss," he said politely.

"I will, thanks," Twilight said with a small smile.

With that, their wings began to flap rapidly, and soon they were taking off down the road. When they hit the proper speed, they lifted off the ground and were airborne again. Twilight watched as they soared over the rooftops of the houses and shops that made up Ponyville. She watched as they were soon hundreds of feet in the air, heading out over the surrounding hills. Soon they were just a black speck on the purplish-blue sky. They descended on the other side of the hills, and they were out of sight.

Twilight stared around her for a moment. She was all alone; nopony else seemed to be up at this time. The street in front of her was completely deserted, and the only sound was the faint whistle of wind blowing through the surrounding trees. Twilight quite enjoyed this silence; it gave her time to gather her thoughts. To just sit back and meditate for a short while. It would do her a world of good to clear her mind before the long, arduous journey that lay before her. She closed her eyes, breathed soundly, and just let her mind be at peace. it was a very effective technique. She sat that way for a few moments before opening her eyes again and straightening herself up again. She just had to check out of the inn now and she would be ready. She knew checkout time wasn't until around 11:00 or something, but she figured if she made enough of a fuss they would just want her out. Luckily, the pony working the desk didn't ask any questions and didn't seem to care at all, and given the state of inn, Twilight wasn't the least bit surprised.

Twilight stepped out after getting her business at the inn taken care of. It was time to start gathering the troops. For a second, she had the terrifying thought that they had all cut and run in the middle of the night. The thought was dashed quickly though by the sound of a familiar voice behind her.

"Yo, Twi!"

The unicorn smiled. Rainbow Dash truly was the Element of Loyalty. She turned to see the cyan pegasus soaring through the air right down to her, a leather bag similar to her own resting next to her flank. Dash kicked up a small cloud of dirt as she landed, giving Twilight a cocky grin. She looked totally pumped. Twilight managed a weak smile of her own.

"Morning, Dash," she greeted.

"How's it goin', egghead?" Dash replied.

The two gave each other a quick squeeze with one of their forelegs.

"It's going alright I guess. How about you?" Twilight asked.

Dash shrugged.

"Can't complain," she answered. "I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't a little psyched. I mean, who knows? This might be kinda like a vacation or something."

"I guess that's a matter of perspective," Twilight said. "So, are you all set?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Dash replied. "Got Tank down in the Everfree forest a few moments ago. Told him to bite the heads off of any frogs he see's 'cause frogs suck! There's only room for one amphibian out there, and that's him!" She wore a proud look for a moment, which soon faded to confusion. "Or... is he a reptile?" She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I'll have to ask Fluttershy at some point. Anyway, I'm pretty much good to go. Got enough food to last me a few days. How 'bout you?"

"I just scraped together what I could at the continental breakfast here," Twilight answered. "It wasn't much though, and... well, the food here was pretty terrible."

"I'll share if need be," Dash offered.

Twilight smiled. Dash could be pretty decent when she wanted to be.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," she said.

"No prob," Dash said while giving a long groaning stretch. "So where to first?"

"Rarity's," Twilight replied. "It's closest."

"'Kay," Dash said. "Hope she got enough beauty sleep last night, 'cause I doubt she's gonna be getting any for the next week or so."

With that, the two mares made off for Carousel Boutique. Twilight glanced over her shoulder to take one last look at the ragged Ponyville inn, her former temporary home. She couldn't have been happier that she would never have to put up with it again.

* * *

Rarity had originally thrown just about everything but the kitchen sink into her elegant velvet bag. Hey, if she was going to have to travel for three days on her hooves, she wanted to have as much as she could possibly carry on her back. unfortunately "as much as she could possibly carry" turned out to be very little. Sadly, she had to lighten her load significantly. Now only the bare essentials occupied her bag. An extra warm silk blanket, and extra thick foam pad rolled up tightly (she'd have brought her whole bed if she could), some gourmet oats and hay (she wouldn't settle for any less than gourmet), and a camera. It didn't seem necessary, but she did love taking pictures whenever she went to Manehatten. It was such an enormous and beautiful city, and she loved to capture the moments she had there on film. Besides, there was always the off chance that a camera might somehow come in handy.

After a quick once over, the fashion unicorn decided she was set. She used her magic to gracefully lift bag and place it onto her back next to her flank, the strap flung around her neck. She loved the feeling of the velvet against her coat. It was a feeling she would never tire of, and it would do her some good on her long journey. With a small blissful sigh she turned to leave her room for what she hoped wouldn't be her last.

"Sweetie Belle?" she called in almost a sing-song voice as she made her way to the front of her home/store. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," came a tired and slightly annoyed voice from behind her.

Rarity turned to see her little sister coming downstairs carrying a small bag next to her cutie-markless flank. She looked so tired that she was barely able to stand. She wasn't used to being up that early.

"Well then," Rarity began, "Are you looking forward to spending the next week or so with your friend? I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with her."

"Yeah, I guess," Sweetie Belle answered, not sounding too sure of herself.

Rarity frowned a bit. She had a feeling her sister was trying to put on a brave face, much like she herself was.

"What's wrong, dear?" Rarity asked with concern.

"Nothing," Sweetie Belle shook her head. "It's just... I like being with my friends and all, but... I don't like being away from you for too long. Did... did I do something wrong? Is that why you're leaving?"

Rarity looked shocked.

"What? No! No, dear one!" She cried as she went forward to embrace her sister. "You did nothing wrong! Nothing at all! It's just... your older sister need some time to herself to think some things over. You know that things... haven't exactly been working out well for us and the shop recently, don't you?" Her sister nodded, she hadn't embraced Rarity back yet. "Well, my friends and I just want to take a bit of a road trip to clear our minds and decide what we want to do. It had nothing to do with you doing anything wrong. Do you understand me?"

Sweetie Belle nodded. She was beginning to tear up a bit.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I just don't want to think that I did anything to make you mad. I just don't want to be hurt anymore."

Now Rarity gently lifted the little filly's chin so she look her directly in the eye.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Sweetie," she began. "Nopony will ever hurt you again. I will NOT allow it... EVER. That's part of the reason I'm taking this little trip: I need to think of a way to keep you with me for as long as possible. Do you understand? Nopony, not those foal service ponies, not a foster family..." she added quietly: "Not even mother or father... will ever lay a hoof on you."

Sweetie Belle sniffled a bit, then finally moved in to hug her sister. They held each other in the silence of the shop for the longest time. After a while Rarity placed a delicate kiss on her sisters forehead.

"You know I love you very much don't you?" She asked quietly.

'Yeah, I do," Sweetie Belle replied, her words muffled from having her face buried in Rarity's chest.

"And you know that whatever I do, I do because I have your best interests at heart?"

"Mmhmm."

And that was that. The sound of a knock at the door caused them to break apart and collect themselves.

"Well, let's be off," Rarity said. "Be sure to say hello to your aunt Twilight."

Sweetie Belle nodded, and the two headed for the door. Rarity opened it and smiled as she greeted the lavender unicorn with a hug.

"Good morning, dear," she greeted.

"Hey, Rarity," Twilight said back to her. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be, I suppose," Rarity answered. She then noticed with a bit of surprise the rainbow-maned pegasus that was hovering next to Twilight. "Oh, hello Rainbow Dash. I guess we don't have to bother with going to get you, huh?"

Dash chuckled.

"Yeah, the last thing we need for you to get in the air again," she joked.

Rarity rolled her eyes. As long as she lived, she swore Dash would never let her forget that incident. From behind her came Sweetie Belle. She smiled a bit up at Twilight, who smiled warmly back down at her.

"Hi, aunty Twilight," the little filly said.

"Hi, hon," Twilight replied and pulled her into a quick hug.

Sweetie Belle then turned to Rainbow Dash, smiling a little wider at seeing the spunky pegasus.

"Hi, aunt Dashie," she greeted a little more jovially.

"Heya, kiddo," Dash said as she ruffled the filly's mane with her forehoof.

"Well then, where are we off to now?" Rarity asked.

"Sugarcube Corner," Twilight replied. "We'll grab Pinkie Pie next."

And the group headed out for their next destination to get the party pony.

* * *

Pinkie Pie zipped effortlessly through the shops kitchen so fast that she was almost nothing more than a pink blur. Mr. and Mrs. Cake watched as she threw almost every last cupcake, sweet bun and pastry she could get her hoofs on into her bag. It may not have been the best travel food she was gathering, but for Pinkie Pie sugar was all she needed to keep her going. She didn't even seem to care that she was getting crumbs and frosting all over her blanket and and padding.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather put those in zip-lock bags, dear?" Mrs. Cake asked. "Your bag seems to be getting awfully messy."

"Oh, it's okay, it doesn't bother me none," Pinkie replied. "That way if I get hungry in the middle of the night or something, all I have to do is lick some frosting off my pillow and I'll be fine!"

Mrs. Cake gave a bit of an uneasy smile. She turned to look at her husband, who looked even more nervous than her. Pinkie had certainly seemed to perk up a bit since the day before. Her mane and tail were back to being puffy and poofy, and she had been smiling significantly more often. Thought they were happy to see their little baker back to her old cheerful self, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong with her. This was a different kind of happiness that Pinkie was displaying. They couldn't quite put their hooves on it, but it seemed almost like a... darker kind of happiness; like she was up to something... bad. It was unnerving for both of them, and it didn't help that Pinkie wasn't telling them much.

"P-Pinkie," Mr. Cake stuttered. "Please... I-I wish you would tell us what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, silly," Pinkie said with a giggle. "In fact, I feel better than I have in a long time!"

"W-well, we can see that, Pinkie," Mrs. Cake said. "And we're very happy for you, but... we're still just a little worried about you. Why won't you tell us where it is you're going?"

"Because we don't where we're going," Pinkie answered. "We're just taking a little road trip. Wherever we go, we go. It's more fun that way!"

The Cake's both sighed, but Mr. Cake seemed a little more accepting now.

"Maybe this will do her some good, dear," he said to his wife. "I mean, she was so depressed earlier, but now she seems truly excited to get away for a while. Besides, we can manage the shop on our own, can't we?"

"Yes, yes I know," Mrs. Cake muttered. "But... I just can't help but worry about her. She's like a daughter to us, after all. I just want to make sure she's safe. If anything ever happened to her... I'd..."

"Aw, mama Cake," Pinkie cooed as she trotted forward to give her a hug. "You don't have ta worry about me, I'll be fine with the other girls. They'll take care of me. Besides, who knows? Maybe things'll... be better when I come back."

"Oh, sweetheart," Mrs. Cake whispered as she tightly embraced her self-appointed adopted daughter. "Things won't be the same with you gone."

"I'll second that," Mr. Cake said as he stepped forward to hug the two mares.

The three ponies held each other in the silence of the shop for a few minutes. Then, the ringing of a bell at the front door signaled the arrival of the others. Pinkie quickly stretched her neck upwards and kissed her caretakers on their cheeks.

"I'll be just fine, guys," she assured them. "Don't you worry about a thing. Just take good care of Gummy while I'm gone, okay?"

"You betcha, deary," Mrs. Cake said. "Have fun with your friends, and be safe."

And after one more quick hug for both of them, Pinkie headed over to the front of the shop where she was greeted by three of her friends and a young filly.

"Mornin' girls!" Pinkie exclaimed cheerfully.

"Lookin' good, Pinks," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.

"Aw thanks, Dashie!" Pinkie said cheerfully. "I _do _feel a lot better now that I know were finally doing something! I mean, this is kinda exciting, isn't it? We've never had an adventure quite like this!"

The mares all giggled a bit uncomfortably, except for Dash, she seemed genuinely amused.

"I guess that's one way of looking at it," Twilight mumbled. "So anyway, are you all set?"

"You betchyer booty, rootie tootie!" Pinkie replied excitedly, leaping up and down in one spot.

"Heh heh, glad to hear it," Twilight said with a bit of an nervous smile.

"Honestly, it's good to see you smile again, dearest," Rarity cooed.

Pinkie smiled gleefully and gave the ivory unicorn a big hug, which Rarity returned somewhat half-assedly. Pinkie then noticed the little filly staring a bit awkwardly at her. Pinkie, who loved little fillies, just squealed in delight and scooped up the cute little unicorn into the biggest hug she could muster.

"Aw, how's my widdle Sweetie Belle?" She said through pouted lips.

"I-I'm okay, aunt Pinkie," Sweetie Belle said, groaning a bit at how tightly she was being held.

The hug ended up lasting a few seconds too long for Rarity, so she stepped forward and gently pried Pinkie off her sister.

"Easy now, darling, we're all a little tired right now," she said calmly.

"Oh, sorry," Pinkie chirped, not sounding the least bit offended.

Twilight giggled a bit at her friends silliness and looked over her ever growing group. She had to admit: seeing all her friends so willing to back her up on this was starting to set her heart at ease. This whole thing was starting to feel more and more possible.

"Alright then," she said with a content sigh. "Let's head for Fluttershy's next."

The others all nodded and headed off out the door. Before stepping over the threshold, Pinkie took one last glance back at the shop. Mr. and Mrs Cake were standing behind the counter, smiling warmly at her. Pinkie smile back and waved a hoof at them, which the married couple returned. Pinkie then turned and headed out the door after her friends. The instant she was gone, the smiles the Cakes wore faded to worried frowns. Neither of them said anything, and they didn't need to, their looks said it all: they were scared. Scared for their little Pinkie Pie... or, were they scared _of _her? Neither of them could explain it, but there was something... different about the twinkle in her eye that she usually had; something... darker...

* * *

Fluttershy held her ailing rabbit in her forelegs as she sat on her little rocking chair, it's gentle creaking being the only noise that filled her dark and quiet little cottage. Angel's breathing was slow yet steady, his ears were drooping onto Fluttershys lap. He looked looked pleadingly up at the yellow pegasus, as if he were saying "Please help me, mother. Please take me out of this pain." It was killing her to see him like this.

"Mommy loves you so much," Fluttershy whispered to him. "Mommy's going to save you, don't you worry. Your pain won't last for much longer, I promise."

Angel seemed to understand her. The two had a connection that nopony could seem to decipher, the kind of relationship that went beyond a pet and it's owner. It was truly something special, and Fluttershy was determined not to let it end like this. If she had to commit a crime to fix things, then so be it. She just didn't care. Angel mattered more to her than bank filled with innocent ponies whom she would have to steal from, and she felt no guilt whatsoever in thinking that way. The thought of seeing her bunny happy and full of life again meant more to her than anything else.

A knock came at her door, and she knew it was time. She lifted out of her chair and fluttered over to the bed she had made for Angel. She gently set the little rabbit into it and made sure he was good and comfy. She then leaned down and kissed his tiny warm body.

"I'll be back soon, my little Angel," she cooed. "And we'll all be happy again."

Angel looked up at her, and for a second Fluttershy could sworn she saw him give her a smile, as if he were wishing her luck. Maybe he knew what she was about to do, like he could sense it or something, and maybe he didn't care, maybe his pain was so great that he just wanted her to do what she could to put him out of it.

Fluttershy kissed him one more time and turned away from the bed. Next to her front door was her bag containing all her necessary provisions for her trip. She stuck her head through the strap on the side of it and let it slide down her neck and rest next to her flank. She breathed nervously for a few moments, trying to mentally prepare herself. When she felt ready she went to the door, opened it and greeted her friends with as much of a smile as she could manage.

"Hi, everypony," she said quietly.

"Hey, Shy," Twilight greeted. "All set?"

"Yes, I suppose I am," Shy replied, unable to hide her fear.

Twilight noticed this and gave her a gentle pat on her neck.

"It's okay if your scared, Shy. We're all a little on edge right now," she whispered to her.

"I'll be fine," the pegasus said quietly yet confidently. "Nothing's going to stop me from saving Angel."

Twilight smiled and patted her again. Even in the darkest of circumstances, this pegasus could still just absolutely make her heart melt. Fluttershy gave friendly greeting nods to the other ponies as well. She was particularily happy to see Pinkie Pie looking more like her old self again; it would definitely make the journey seem much easier with the peppy little party pony keeping her spirits up.

"Alright," Twilight started. "Now we just need Applejack and we ready to get out of here."

Pinkie gave a little whoop whoop, garnering a few chuckles from the others.

"Hopefully she didn't cut and run during the night," Dash said quietly to Twilight. "She was the only one who still seemed to have reservations about this even after she agreed."

"Not Applejack," Twilight said resolutely. "She's the Element of Honesty; she's not gonna sell us out."

The others stared at her for a moment, looking a bit confused, and Twilight understood what it meant. Hadn't she just yesterday disowned the Elements of Harmony? The group seemed to just shrug it off though, and they continued out past the cottage and headed for Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy taking one last look at the animal pens surrounding her yard, hoping deeply that she would come back safely to them, especially her dear Angel.

* * *

"Now, are ya sure you can manage ev'rything while Ah'm gone, Mac?" The farm pony asked her older brother.

"Eeyup, absolutely," the stallion answered. "Ah'm a farmer, no amount of work is too hard fer me. Ya'll just do wat'cha gotta do and make sure ya come back safely. Ev'rything'll be fine on mah end."

Applejack smiled admirably at Big Mac. It wasn't until today that she truly began to realize just how lucky she was to have him. She had woken up that morning dreading all the work she was going to have to do before her friends came for her. When she saw that her brother had made breakfast for her and had packed her bag with warm blankets (including some of his own) and the last of the apples that had been salvaged from the fire, she just about broke down and cried. She approached him right there and gave him a huge hug, which he warmly returned.

"Yer too good ta me, Big Mac, you know that?" She said, sounding close to tears.

"Ain't no such thing as bein' too good to mah sister," Big Mac replied. "'Sides, ah know yer lookin' out for me as much as ah'm lookin' out fer you. Jus' gotta balance it out, that's all."

Applejack smiled, squeezed him tighter for a moment, and then finally broke away. The large stallion smiled warmly down at his sister and gave her a reassuring nod. He was always so proud of her, and he knew whatever it was she would be doing out there in the wide world, it would be for the best.

Applejack then turned down to little Apple Bloom, who had woken up early to see her older sister off. The farm pony approached the little filly and placed her fore hooves onto the sides of Applebloom's forelegs.

"Now, you be a good little girl while ah'm gone," she began. "Ya mind yer brother and help 'im out whenever he needs it. Be sure to take care of Granny Smith, you know she ain't been too well recently. Have fun with yer friend, but remember that yer responsibilities come first, ya hear?"

"Ah will, sis," Apple Bloom said as she hugged her sister.

Applejack then went to collect her bag and stetson. She flinged the the strap of the bag around her neck and placed her hat firmly on her head. She looked ready... ready for whatever the coming week would throw at her. She was still scared, and a part of her still believed that this whole thing was wrong. But she had to put those feelings aside for her family, especially her brother, who had done so much for her and supported her no matter what she did. Her will to see her family happy and thriving again outweighed any and all other feelings. Especially Granny Smith, who had not left her bed for the past few days. AJ was beginning to fear that her time was running short. She wanted to make sure that in what may very well be her last days, she could see her beloved farm restored to it's beautiful former self.

After a moment of reflection, she turned around and saw that Winona had padded up to her, panting and wagging her tail happily. Applejack smiled down at the border collie and patted her on the head.

"Ya gonna take care of m'family, hero?" she asked.

Winona gave a jovial woof and licked at Applejacks hoof. The farmer laughed ruffled the back of her pets neck.

Then came the knock at the door, and AJ sighed. It was time. She went to the door and gave a meaningful yet slightly weary greeting to her friends. Seeing as they were probably already tired from the long walk out to her farm, she invited them in to rest up a bit before they headed out. Her friends graciously accepted and stepped inside. They all crowded themselves onto the large couch in the living room, each carrying out individual conversations with each other.

Fluttershy explained to Big Mac a few little details on taking care of her animals. What to feed them, when to feed them, when Angel need his pills, how many pills he needed to take and so on, as well as thanking him profusely for his kindness. Rarity gave Sweetie Belle one last goodbye hug and reminded her to stop by Carousel Boutique to feed and water Opalesence every day. She then let her go off to join her fellow Cutie-Mark Crusader in her room. Rainbow Dash and Twilight, who had just now for the first time witnessed the devastating remains of Sweet Apple Acres, offered their condolences to Appplejack, as well as their further assurance that they were going to fix things. Pinkie Pie meanwhile was just sitting upright and excited on the couch, smiling gleefully, raring to go. If her friends had been aware of her, they most likely would've been a bit creeped out by the vaguely sinister undertone to the smile she wore.

Finally, when they all felt rested and ready. The mane six all bade Big Mac goodbye, receiving a friendly nod and "Take care, ya'll," in return. They headed outside into the much brighter morning and warmer morning air. It was now 8:30 and Celestia's sun was beginning it's ascension over the hills to the east. Twilight had to admit she was pleased with their timing. She had wanted to start the journey by at least 9:30. This may not be as hard as she originally thought.

The six ponies stared off into the east; the direction of Manehatten.

"So this is it..." Twilight said ominously.

"No backing out now," Dash added.

"So begins the first steps of our noble journey," Rarity murmured.

"Ah jus' hope it all counts fer somthin'," Applejack sighed.

"If we stick together, we can do anything," Fluttershy stated confidently.

"It'll be just like a party, a big big party," Pinkie said airily.

And with those words, they took their first steps down the road. Big Mac, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle watched them from the house, smiling faintly, blissfully ignorant of what was really going on.

* * *

_**Well, I guess by now you're all starting to think that Pinkie Pie is going to be the loose cannon of the group or something (seriously, it's almost becoming clichéd to make her a psychopath). Still, I think I'm gonna have some fun writing her character in this little story o' mine! Thanks for reading. Don't stop reviewing! It makes for great encouragement! More soon!**_


	6. A Little Road Therapy

**Chapter Six:**

**A Little Road Therapy**

Nopony spoke much during the first day of journey. Except for the occasional comment about the weather or a joking "are we there yet?" from Rainbow Dash, there just didn't seem like much to say. Twilight knew what it was they were doing, what they were getting themselves into, and her mind was too wrapped around those thoughts to bother with trying to carry out idle conversations. When this whole thing was over and done with, she knew they would not be the same ponies as they were now. This bank heist would change them in some way. What way that would be was hard to say at that time, and hopefully whatever it was wouldn't be too outwardly obvious that other ponies would suspect things. But no matter how they looked at it, they would be changed, and maybe it wouldn't be for the better. It was that thought that plagued Twilight as she and her friends made their journey to the bustling pony metropolis of Manehatten, and it kept her making any attempt at conversation.

She couldn't quite tell if her friends were having the same thoughts. She'd take a few glances at there faces now and then, trying to read their emotions and use it as any sign of what they were possibly thinking. Rarity looked as worried and distraught as ever; she was most likely still thinking of Sweetie Belle's future. Applejack still looked like she just didn't want to be there. Fluttershy's expression was surprisingly vacant. It was almost as if she wasn't thinking about anything at all. Maybe it was her way of dealing with things. If that was the case, Twilight had to admire her. She wished she could do that as well.

Rainbow Dash still appeared to be pumped up for the whole thing. There was a bit of frustration in her face as well, but Twilight assumed that it was part of what was driving Dash at that point. She had been so angry at the world for the past few days that she was excited to finally extract a bit of vengeance against it. Twilight couldn't really blame her; it wasn't like Dash had much to lose. She didn't have any relatives or significant others counting on her to succeed with this. If anything were to happen to her on this journey, then it looked like Tank would get make the Everfree forest his new home, which probably was no big deal for him.

Once again, Twilight found herself deeply disturbed by the expression that Pinkie Pie wore. She was smiling gleefully the whole time and had a bounce in her every step. It was actually very normal behavior for Pinkie Pie, and that was what bothered Twilight so much. Just yesterday Pinkie had been a miserable wreck; she looked as bad as Twilight had ever seen her. But once Twilight had explained to the group what she wanted to do, Pinkie had gradually seemed to improve. Now she was as jubilant as ever, maybe even more so than she had ever been before in her life. She didn't seem at all bothered by what they were about to do, and that really got under Twilights skin. Maybe she had taken Twilight seriously when she told her to think of it as a party, or maybe she had really believed Twilight when she said they would be getting back at the rich ponies of Equestria with this act, and she couldn't wait to exact revenge. The question was kind of revenge did Pinkie have in mind? Because it seemed to Twilight that the party pony had more in mind than just robbery...

* * *

One thing that the Mane Six were relatively grateful for was that weather did remain pleasant for most of the early morning. There were only light wisps of clouds in the sky and the light cool breeze felt good on their skin, especially in the areas they were beginning to sweat. By noon however, the sun was starting to become a bit too much. The breeze died down by that point and the air was becoming very dry. If they weren't careful, the group would easily run out of water before long.

"Fuck you Celestia fuck you Celestia fuck you Celestia," Dash muttered bitterly under her breath, clearly blaming Celestia for the scorching conditions they had to endure.

Before too long it became unbearable, and Dash had had enough. She took off into the sky and pulled in the nearest cloud so it was blocking the scorching suns rays from hitting the ponies. Dash was no longer legally qualified to move clouds, but that wasn't going to stop her from taking advantage of her ability to do so. Her friends didn't seem to care much either. They were grateful for the shade for one thing, and besides, if they were on their way to rob a bank, they might as well partake in a little illegal activity on the way, especially stuff that seemed mild by comparison. It felt oddly right all things considered.

The terrain they crossed on that first day was mostly flat green meadow lands. There were a few ups and downs here and there, as Applejack had pointed out the day before, but it was nothing remotely challenging. It was and extremely desolate landscape; there were no signs of life or civilization for miles. At times it almost felt as if the Mane Six were the last ponies alive in Equestria. It was as if some weapon of mass destruction or some viral outbreak had wiped out all life around them. Those were the kinds of disturbing thoughts that the six ponies just couldn't keep out of their heads. Once in a while though, an earth pony pulling a cart or a charter carriage would head pass them in the opposite direction, reminding them that Equestria was still well populated and at peace.

At around 4:00 that afternoon they came across a small general store on the side of the road. They stopped there to eat, grab some more food, fill up their water packs at a nearby stream, visit the little mares' room, and just basically relax for a while. Twilight went through her small pouch of bits that she had brought with her. There appeared to be at least seventy five worth in there, possibly all that remained for her. She hadn't asked what her friends had brought in terms of money, but she didn't feel it would do any good to ask now. They were well on their way and turning back just because they may not have brought many bits might as well be considered chickening out. Besides, her friends weren't stupid. They had to have brought a significant amount.

They found themselves able to travel faster without the sun beating down on them. They moved quicker and stopped less frequently. If they could do make the same good time they had early that morning and late that afternoon the next day, then it seemed very likely that they would be in Manehatten sooner than expected. Still, in spite of that good piece of news, nopony spoke much.

* * *

It had seemed like a good idea to set up a camp of some kind while they still had light, but their desperation to get to Manehatten kept them going until the sun had fallen behind a far off mountain range, creating a black ominous silhouette against the dark blue starry sky. Off in another part of the sky the moon was beginning its ascension. Twilight could almost make out the faint form of Princess Luna pulling it along.

"Pro'bly oughta hunker down fer the night," Applejack said with a yawn. "Ain't safe ta travel in the dark."

"Yeah, I'm wiped," Dash agreed.

"Alright, we should set up a good few yards from the road," Twilight said. "Maybe conceal ourselves if we can. I don't know what kinds of ponies travel these roads at night, and I'd rather keep it that way."

The others nodded agreement. They trotted about twenty yards into the soft grassy meadow on the right side of the road. There was a bit of a slope at that point that dipped downwards, acting as a perfect little shelter and hiding spot from any passing ponies. They rolled out their sleeping mats, Pinkie happily munching the crumbs and frosting off of hers, and settled themselves down. After a quietly mumbled "good night" to each other they drifted off to sleep, or... at least they tried to.

The pads they were using -with the exception of Rarity's extra thick pad- did very little in the way of offering any comfort from the hard lumpy ground. It also didn't help that the meadow grass was making them itch whenever it rubbed up against them. On top of that there were some crickets not to far off that were really putting on a show with their chirping.

By the time the night was about half over, Twilight, Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Applejack were in agony. Their backs were being ravaged by the hard lumps protruding through their thin foam pads. Several times during the night they found themselves lifting their pads and trying to clear the ground underneath of any rocks. But no matter how many times they did this, the ground remained as uncomfortable as ever underneath the pads. Maybe the problem wasn't the ground; maybe their pads were just really old and worn, and maybe it was the pads that contained the lumps. Rainbow Dash would've pulled down a cloud if she could, but there weren't any for miles. the one she had used for shade had drifted off a while ago and she was too tired to go looking for another one.

Meanwhile, the light snoring that was permeating from Rarity's pad indicated that the fashion unicorn was amazingly having no trouble sleeping in these brutal conditions, and when Twilight gave her extra thick pad a poke with her hoof, she understood why. As the night wore on, the young mares found themselves "accidentally" ending up on Rarity's pad one by one. It was only a matter of time before the peacefully slumbering mare was rudely awoken by a heavy breathing on the back of her neck. She gave an annoyed groan and rolled over to see it was Pinkie Pie, who was partially hanging off the pad. Rarity looked around to see that everypony else were partially laying on her pad, with Fluttershy actually wrapping a foreleg around the her underside.

Rarity was annoyed for a brief moment, but seeing how horrible the conditions were around her, she couldn't really blame them for wanting to take advantage of any comfort they could find. And even though the group had pretty much disowned their title as the Elements of Harmony, she supposed she could still have moments of generosity if she really needed to. First, she shot a white beam of light from her horn, the brightness of which waking the others instantly, having them all murming in confusion.

"Everypony off the pad for a moment, please," Rarity announced.

The others still looked a bit confused, a little hurt also that Rarity was most likely kicking them out of her private zone, but they all stepped off nonetheless. Rarity did as well, and aiming her horn at the pad, she hit it with a quick spell that caused it to expand to a large enough size for all of them.

"Climb aboard," she said as she made herself comfortable again.

The others all gave her warm, grateful smiles, which she returned. They laid themselves down a good distance from each other, wrapping themselves in their own individual blankets as well. There was no need to get _too _intimate in this situation (sorry, cloppers). The softness of the pad did wonders for young ponies, and they were all asleep before they knew it.

_'Only one more night of this' _was Twilights last thought before she drifted off. _'I hope...'_

* * *

They were up early the next day. There was only a faint glow in the east to signal where exactly the sun would be rising, slightly obscured by the thin level of morning mist surrounding the area. It was comfortably cool out, which the ponies made sure to enjoy before it gave way to what was sure to be another scorcher of a day. Twilight left her sleeping pad behind, as did the others. If they were just going to share Rarity's, there was no need to haul their crappy ones around. It would be much easier on their still aching backs.

This days stretch of the journey proved to be significantly more difficult than the first. The Mane Six found themselves climbing much steeper sections of the road, squeezing their way through an imposing gorge not too dissimilar from the Ghastly Gorge, and crossing rather rickety bridge over a massive canyon with jagged spiky rocks lining the bottom (which they could've gone around but decided that would take to long). Thankfully nothing went wrong, and nopony seemed even the slightest bit intimidated by these obstacles. Maybe they were desensitized to this kind of danger by now, or maybe their desperation to see this task through outweighed their fear. Whatever the case, nopony complained; no pony spoke.

By around 3:00 pm they had managed to struggled their way through the the more difficult sections and found themselves on a long flat stretch of the road again. This was the most eerily desolate part of their journey thus far. They hadn't seen a carriage or any other mode of transportation for miles, and the surrounding landscape was much drier, almost desert like.

_'Equestria sure has a weird geography,' _Twilight thought to herself.

This was by far the most boring part of the whole road trip. There were no big beautiful natural landmarks to gawk at, no cute little animals on the sides of the road for Fluttershy to squee over, it was just boring boring desert. At one point they noticed a fairly large black speck soaring way above them in the cloudless sky; most likely a dragon. By this point the six ponies were so bored that they were almost hoping it would notice them and try to attack. Fighting it off would've at least been more engaging than just trotting along a dusty dirt road with nothing to do. unfortunately, the dragon either didn't notice them or had no interest in ponies that day, as he just continued on to wherever it was he was going.

Two hours had passed since they had hit this desert wasteland, and Rainbow Dash was starting to lose it. The sheer boredom she was feeling, mixed with the burning pain in her legs from walking so much was driving her insane. It got to the point where she could no longer bear being on her hooves anymore. She lifted herself off the ground and slowly hovered along with the others. Her slow hovering only lasted a while though. Being built for speed, Dash sped off as fast as she could down the road until she was out of sight. None of the ponies asked any questions or appeared to be confused. They knew it was just Dash being Dash, and she would come speeding back to them soon, hopefully with news on what the road had in store for them up ahead. And indeed the cyan pegasus sped back to the group looking somewhat relieved.

"There's another general store up ahead," she told them, breathing heavily. "It's a little decrepit but it should do fine for us. It's not like we're being picky or anything."

This admittedly perked the ponies up quite a bit, and their pace quickened considerably as they continued down the road. Unfortuantely, the term "decrepit" was a bit of an understatement when they actually saw the place. From the outside it looked as though the store had been abandoned some time ago. It was more like a creaky old wooden shack then a place of business. But when when the nervous little mares poked their heads in, much to their disgust, they saw that a crazed looking, backwoods hick stallion straight out of Deliverance was standing behind the counter, smiling a deranged, gummy smile at them.

In most circumstances it would've seemed like a good idea to just keep going and hope that another store would come up later down the road. But they couldn't risk it; they were dangerously close to running out of food and water, plus they need a moment to rest, their legs were throbbing horribly by this point. They bravely ventured into the shop and gathered up whatever sustenance they could find. Stale oats, greasy fried hay, moldy apples, dirty packs of water, it was wretch worthy, but it was better than nothing.

Meanwhile, Rarity had taken one step into the mares bathroom before she stumbled backwards retching and coughing. There was absolutely _no way _she would take care of her business in that disgusting, germ-ridden hole. She went outside and walked about 30 yards out into the desert and did what she had to do there, much to Rainbow Dash's amusement.

Desperate to get the hay out of there, the young mares approached the counter to pay for their goods. The crazed looking proprietor's toothless smile never faded as he rang up their items. The ponies did the best they could to keep from gagging and holding their noses at his stench. Twilight noticed that Pinkie Pie, who was the only one who didn't seem to affected by this place as she was beaming away as usual, had grabbed a bottle of soda. The unicorn tried to convince her friend that beverages like that weren't the best choice of drink for traveling as they only caused the drinker to get more and more thirsty, but Pinkie was quite insistent that sugar and caffeine were the best things for her; they kept her going better than anything else could. Twilight couldn't argue with that logic, so she reluctantly allowed it.

After paying for everything, and hearing a mutter from the gross old stallion that sounded scarily like he was saying something about Applejack "having a purdy mouth" the group hauled ass out of there and didn't stop running (Pinkie laughing gleefully all the way) until the store was far behind them.

"Maybe we should take a different way home," Fluttershy suggested curtly.

"Agreed," the others all muttered at the same time, except for Pinkie, who seemed confused by the fear in everypony's faces .

* * *

By around 7:30, the desert began to fade away as trees began to dominate the landscape. It was no Everfree forest, but there were enough trees to call it a forest of some sort. With the sun beginning its descent, Twilight decided it was time for them to settle in for another night, hopefully better than the night before. they found a small clearing in the trees not too far off from the road that offered a beautiful view of the starry sky above them.

Rarity rolled out her pad there, enlarging it again, while the others choked down some of the food from the shithole general store. Once they were all fed and watered, they settled themselves down on the pad, a good legs length away from each other, and just stared quietly up at the night sky.

Rainbow Dash's mind was far from at ease. She imagined all her friends were feeling the same way, but it was really starting to get to her that they had been so quiet during the whole journey. They were starting to feel more and more like strangers to her than her closest friends. She knew they were all suffering greatly, but was that any reason to completely ignore each other? Dash felt a sudden urge to ease the tensity of the situation; just get her friends talking again like they always used to on journies like these. She didn't care what it was they talked about, anything was better than this unnatural silence.

"Hey, uh... I think I might've strained my wing when I was flying today. Anypony up for giving me a wing massage?" She asked jokingly, receiving groans, eyerolls and scoffs in return. "Just tryin' to livin' things up a little," she continued in a tone of annoyance. "I mean, it's like I barely know you guys anymore. Nopony's said more than like... three words a day since we left. It's starting to bother me a little."

"Dash, we're all tired, we're all in pain, and we all have a lot on our minds," Twilight said. "Can you blame us for not being particularly talkative the past few days?"

Dash sighed.

"Whatever, can't say I didn't try."

But then Pinkie, who was laying next to her, rolled over to face the frustrated pegasus.

"I'll give ya a wing massage Dashie!" She offered with a big smile.

Dash smiled. At least Pinkie was willing to be reasonable.

"Nah, I was just kidding, Pinks," she said. "But what I could really use is a laugh. A joke, an impression, anything. Just give me a laugh, kid."

Pinkie thought for a moment. She brough a forehoof to her chin and stroked it as if she were pondering some sort of paradoxical question about the meaning of life. Suddenly her face brightened up and she reached into her bag, which was laying at the end of the pad by her head. She pulled out her soda bottle, which was still half-full, and took a few big swigs out of it, retaining the liquid in her cheeks. She set the bottle down and stood on all fours. She then began to shake and vibrate violently. Soon a gratuitous amount of foam was pouring out between her pursed lips and nostrils. Her eyes went kooky and wide, and one by one the other ponies began to chuckle at the silly display.

"Oh crap! She's having a fit!" Dash cried out jokingly. "Quick, somepony give her a tetanus shot!"

Now they were all laughing quite hard, harder than they had in a long while. Eventually the last of the foam escaped from Pinkie's mouth, she wiped it with her hoof, gave a jovial "ta da!" and took a bow, receiving a rousing round of applause from her friends.

"You're so silly," Fluttershy said with a cute giggle.

"Bravo, dear, that was quite amusing," Rarity announced grandly.

"Thanks Pinkie, 'bout time Ah had me a good laugh," Applejack added.

"Pinks, you are a comic genius," Dash chuckled.

Twilight didn't say anything, but she gave Pinkie a smile to show that she was grateful for the little show.

Pinkie blushed at the praise her friends gave her and settled herself back down.

"I do that for Mr. and Mrs. Cake all the time," she said with a blissful sigh. "It always makes them laugh so hard."

Pinkie suddenly seemed deep in thought about something. Most likely she was thinking of how her employers and caretakers were faring without her.

"They really mean a lot to you, don't they?" Twilight said quietly.

Pinkie wore a very serious expression now.

"You can't imagine," she whispered. "They're the best family a pony could ask for."

A brief silence followed that. It seemed Pinkie was serious when she considered the Cakes to be like parents to her. All this time her friends thought she was just exaggerating. After a moment the silence was broken by the rainbow maned pegasus.

"Hey, Pinks, why is it that you hate your real parents?" She asked rather lightly, as if it were no serious question.

Rarity gasped audibly.

"Rainbow Dash!" She scolded. "You know Pinkie doesn't like to delve into that part of life! How dare you bring it up so lightly?"

"I'm just curious!" Rainbow shot back at her. "I mean, here we all are out in the middle of nowhere, about to attempt the craziest thing we've ever tried... why not let loose a little and get a few things off our chests? A little therapy for the road, ya know?"

Rarity was still sputtering angrily at the pegasus, unable to think of anything to say. But after a moment Pinkie raised a hoof and silenced her gently.

"It's okay, Rarity. I don't mind," she told the unicorn, stunned by how suddenly Pinkie seemed to cave. She truly was unpredictable. She then turned back to Dash. "I don't _hate _my parents, Dashie; I don't hate anypony. I just... don't like to talk about them. They... they weren't really the bestest parents a pony could ask for."

All five ponies had their attention riveted on Pinkie Pie now. She was still smiling a bit, but there was definitely a sadness underlying that look. Pinkie continued:

"They... were really really really really really reeeeaaaaallllly hard on me whenever I was naughty. I mean, they were always soooooooo serious about their rock farm and keeping it all up and running, and whenever I... did something bad, my daddy had... really mean ways of punishing me. He... he would..."

Pinkie stopped there. She suddenly seemed very upset; her mane was starting to sag again and her eyes were starting to well up. Dash was starting to feel like she had made a mistake.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie," she apologized. "I didn't know it was _that _sensitive a topic. You don't have to say anything else if don't want to."

"I-I thought I was ready, but I just... I just... don't want to talk about it yet," Pinkie said shakily.

"It's alright, Pinkie," Fluttershy said gently as she reached over and rubbed Pinkies shoulder with her hoof. "We don't think you're weak or anything, and we're all very lucky to have you with us to keep our spirits up."

"I second that," Rarity said proudly. "Why just moments ago you provided us with the first real laughs and smiles we've had for a long while!"

"Ev'ry day's a joy havin' you around, hon," Applejack cooed.

"You're a wonderful pony, Pinkie," Twilight added. "And your friendship means the world to us, it really does."

Pinkie was smiling again. Her eyes were still a little watery, but her mane was starting to poof up again.

"Thanks, girls," she said quietly. "One day I'll tell you all more, I promise. At least, for now I have the Cakes, and I'll make it all up to them soon."

After a few more friendly pats on the shoulder, the ponies all went back to laying down. A brief silence passed, then another pony felt the need to share a little.

"Ah know what it's like ta have strict parents," Applejack said. "Mah folks were pretty hard on Big Mac 'n I; had us workin' 'til the cows came home on some days. They were always civil enough with us, I s'pose, but boy howdy, did they love that farm. Was their pride 'n joy; their livelihood. Didn't mess around when it came ta carin' for it. Punished us foals darned harshly if we ever messed around with it." She paused for a moment. "Sometimes Ah think they... cared more about that farm than they did Mac 'n I..." For a moment Applejack seemed close to tears. She garnered some concerned looks from her friends. "Still, they did what they could fer us, I reckon. Wasn't much, but... well, at least ah had Big Mac lookin' out fer me. He did a darn better job takin' care o' me than they did, that's fer sure!

"Then there was ol' Granny Smith. Ah always liked havin' her come over durin' the holidays. She always made the best dern apple pie ah've ever tasted! Even in her old age she ain't lost her touch with that, either. Once mah father died an' mother went all catatonic 'fore dyin' of malnourishment herself, she became our primary caregiver. Ah liked havin' her live with us, 'cause at least ah know she cared 'bout us more'n she did the farm. Still... this whole danged fire business..." she sighed. "That farm was everythin' ta my folks, then Ah had ta go an'... muck things up by lettin' somethin' like this happen."

"AJ, it wasn't your fault," Rainbow Dash said. "It's not your fault that little bastard punks are allowed to roam Equestria freely, doing whatever the fuck they want."

Applejack's expression suddenly became full of rage. She bit the bottom of her lip as though to keep herself from screaming.

"Wul lemme tell ya'll what," she began in a shaking voice. "If ah had those punks with me right here 'n now, Ah'd... Ah'd... aw shoot, Ah can't even say what Ah'd do to 'em! Ah don't think ya'll could handle it!"

None of the others made any attempt to prod her for more information. They were sure she was right: knowing what a strong pony Applejack was, they probably _didn't _want to hear it.

"Now Ah dunno why this had ta happen," the farm pony continued. "But Ah aim ta make it all right again. If mah parents truly did love that farm more'n they loved their foals, then... Ah might as well do what Ah can ta fix it all up, ta show that Ah care about that farm too. If not fer them, then fer lil' Apple Bloom. She's the true innocent in all this. She... didn't deserve what happened."

AJ stopped there. Thinking about her sweet lil' sister and what she must be feeling right now was proving to be too much for her to handle at that time.

"At least you had _somepony _who cared about you when you were young," Fluttershy interjected, much to the surprise of the others. "My mother and father didn't pay much attention to me at all when I was little. My father worked in a bank, you see... oh, I probably should've mentioned that a while ago! Maybe I could offer some insight on what to expect when we do our... little withdrawal."

"That would be very much appreciated, Shy," Twilight said. "But please, continue with your story."

"Oh, um okay. Well, my father worked in a bank and my mother was... well, actually she just stayed at home with me. Only... she didn't really do much for me. I always had to make my own meals, bathe myself, do my school work without any help... she just... didn't seem to care. My father was hardly ever at home, and when he was he rarely ever said a word to me. I don't know if I did something wrong or... or if he just... didn't like me. They never even gave me anything for my birthday. Actually, I never even had a party either. That was probably because I didn't really have any friends in school. I was always just too... shy.

"I felt so lonely; it seemed like nopony cared about me. It felt like my existence meant... nothing. Like Equestria was no better or worse off without me, like I was a... mistake. It wasn't until I discovered that I had a gift with animals that I finally started to feel... happy. Like I finally had something worth living for. That's why Angel means so much to me: he always made me feel wanted. Just knowing that there was something out there that needed me to love and care for, to give the kind of affection that I never got. He's been a better family for me than my parents ever were.

"Now, I don't know why my parents chose to ignore me. Maybe they just wanted me to learn how to take care of myself, to become self-reliant at as early an age as possible. Or... maybe they really just never wanted anything to do with me. Whatever the case, I... oh dear... I-I know I shouldn't think this way about anypony, but I... don't think I'll be mourning them when they... they..."

That was all Fluttershy could manage to say. She was clearly ashamed of herself for thinking that way. Rarity, who was lying next to her, reached over gently stroked her foreleg.

"Neglect is a terrible thing, dear Fluttershy," she cooed. "I know. Believe me, I know."

"Your parents ignored you too, Rarity?" Fluttershy asked.

"No, not me," the unicorn replied. "They were wonderful to me. Spoiled me rotten, they did. Sent me to the best schools, gave me everything I ever asked for, treated me like a princess," she paused for a moment, knowing she was coming to a difficult subject. "It was Sweetie Belle they didn't care about."

"You _did _mention that you didn't want to send her to her parents for reasons you didn't want to go into at that time," Twilight said. "Didn't you mention a long time ago that she had been left in your care because they were taking a tour of Equestria or something?"

"Indeed, I did," Rarity replied. "But, seeing as we're all being so open with each other now... I suppose I might as well explain the whole terrible ordeal." She took a moment to prepare herself. "That story I told you was a complete fabrication, because I had thought that the truth... would be too much for you all to handle. You see, I'd had no idea that my mother was pregnant with Sweetie Belle until she was eight months along. I had been living on my own by that time and hadn't exactly been keeping in contact with them on a daily basis, but I would've thought that they'd keep me updated with something as important as a pregnency.

"They didn't even tell me the exact day she was born. It was a week later when I finally heard the news. When I confronted my father about it, he told me that they had tried to send word but I was never available. I, of course, believed him at first. I had been very busy with getting my shop set up, for it was still in its early stages. In fact, I was so carried away with my personal life that I never got around to actually visiting my parents for at least three years after Sweetie's birth. I eventually got around to having dinner with them, hoping to finally meet my little sister. But... they told me she was out with her friends. I was... disappointed, but I just shrugged it off, said I'd try again some other time.

"I made it my business to visit my parents more often, to try and at least catch a glimpse of Sweetie Belle. But every time I went to them they gave me a similar cock and bull story: she was out with her friends, she was at school -they used that excuse on weekends amazingly-, she was taking a nap, anything that would bar me from visiting with her. I was starting to get suspicious by that point. Something had definitely seemed wrong with them whenever I would visit. Anytime I brought up Sweetie Belle, they seemed to get... nervous, as if they hiding something from me. They were still civil and polite with me, but... there was something else about them that I couldn't quite put my hoof on.

"Then, around the time of Sweetie Belle's fifth birthday, I decided to make her a dress as a present. I didn't know her size or measurements, but... I just wanted to do something that would get me closer to her somehow. When I went to deliver it to her, I was met at the door by my mother. I told her I had made Sweetie Belle a birthday present and that I wanted to give it to her personally. She went into a mild panic; she tried to hide it, but it was apparent that something was wrong. She once again told me that Sweetie Belle was out with her friends and that she didn't know when she would be back. She told me to just leave the dress there for her and that she would get it when she came home.

"Well, by that point I was having none of it! I forced my way in and _demanded_ I be allowed to see my sister! I moved through the house calling out to her, hearing nothing but my parents' nervous babbling in return. It was when I got to the basement door when I heard the sobbing, and it was when I went down there that I... I finally laid eyes upon my sister for the first time..." there was a brief silence. "She... she was near death when I found her. She was _so _thin that her bones were protruding through her skin. She was shivering uncontrollably, rocking back and forth in a pile of her own filth. She had bruises and cuts all over her body.

"I... was... devastated! I couldn't believe my parents would so something like that! Keeping a sweet and innocent little filly locked up in such conditions like a dirty little secret! I demanded an explanation from those... _ponies _I called my parents. They had no words for me, only shameful looks. I cursed them and rushed Sweetie to the hospital, where after getting her stable, they told me that she was severely malnourished, and that if she had gone another day or two in that condition... she'd... she..." Rarity couldn't finish. She didn't even want to think about it.

"Holy shit," Rainbow Dash muttered quietly. She had been stunned to her core.

"Once she was good and healthy again," Rarity continued. "I took the whole situation to court, where I had her legally placed in my care. The last time I saw my parents was in that courtroom. They said absolutely nothing, they had no defense. To this day, I have no idea why they did what they did to her. I have no idea what that sweet, innocent foal could've possibly done to deserve such treatment.

"I gained custody over her, as you can imagine, but I was also warned by those presiding that a watchful eye would kept over me, and that at the first sign of trouble, Sweetie Belle would be taken away and placed in foster care." She paused for a moment. "The last thing I said to my mother and father before they were hauled away for foal abuse was that _I had no parents_, and that if I ever saw them attempt to come near Sweetie Belle again, if they so much as _blinked _in her direction, every ounce of rage I was feeling at that point would be taken out on them, even if it was in public. They only ended up serving six months of what was supposed to be a ten year sentence. Their attorney must've pulled some strings with the presiding judge or something. I don't know for sure how they got out early, nor do I care. I haven't seen them since, and I should like to keep it that way.

"Anyway, I took the little darling in, did my best to give her a good life, instill my values into her and whatnot. She still had a lot to learn about being a proper lady, but I must say she's coming along remarkably well, especially considering... everything she's been through." There was another pause. Rarity began to sniffle a bit. "Sometimes I look into her sweet little face and I still see that pain and fear, and... and I'd do... _anything _to take it all away. If... if only I'd gotten to her sooner. If only I'd put my damn personal life on hold for only a little while..."

Rarity was now beginning to sob quite freely. Twilight sat up and turned to look down at her fellow unicorn. her own eyes beginning to well up.

"Rarity, what you did was nothing short of heroic," she said meaningfully. "She'd have died if weren't for you. She has no idea how lucky she is to have you."

"I know," Rarity whispered. "I just wish I could do more for her. I hope one day to have her working beside me as we make dresses for royalty like Celestia and Luna. But... with the way things have gone recently, and with where we are now..."

"Everything's going to work out for us in the end," Twilight said confidently. "Once this is all over, Sweetie Belle's going to have the best fillyhood a foal could ask for."

Rarity closed her eyes and nodded. She had never spoken that much about herself before, never brought the whole parent issue up with any of her friends. She had always figured it was nothing they needed to hear, that she didn't need to bring them down with such a depressing story about something that had happened long ago. But they had been opening up to her, she had to do the same. It was only appropriate.

"Don't know how I'm gonna top that one," Dash said after a while. "But I guess I might as well give ya guys a little tidbit of my own shitty past. My parents totally sucked. That's the short version. Long version goes a little something like this: My pop was crazed alcoholic nutjob whose only joy in life came from drinking and beating the shit out of his family, especially me. Any chance he could get, he slap me around like it was nopony's business. Asshole was convinced I was filly-fooler, said I shamed him and everything he stood for. I imagine you went through something similar, Pinkie? By the way you were going on, it sounded like your dad might've slapped you up a bit."

"Something like that," Pinkie said sadly, she couldn't make eye-contact.

"Well, anyway," Dash continued. "My pop hated me, never wanted to have me, let me know it on a daily basis... happy foalhood, ya know?"

"Wh-where was your mother in all this?" Fluttershy asked meekly. "Didn't she do anything for you?"

Dash gave a loud laugh.

"My mother? What they hay was she gonna do about it? Whatever my dad did to me, he did to my mother twice as bad. She was nearly catatonic the whole time. She did absolutely nothing for me. Whenever pop decided to he wanted to bash her around, she just kneeled down and took it. At least I tried to fight back; couldn't make it too easy for the creep, ya know? I was pretty tough as young filly, got plenty of practice at school from those punks who used to gang up on me. calling me Rainbow Crash and whatnot. Fuckin' pricks. Always made 'em pay in the end though. Besides, look where I am now: winner of the Best Young Flyer competition, a bearer of an Element of Harmony -not that _that_ ended up doin' me a lot of good- I'm adored by a good population of Equestria, and I did it all coming from a broken family."

Dash had a bit of a cocky look on her face, but it faded a bit when she came to a realization of something. She sat up and looked over each of her friends, who were gazing up at her intently.

"Look, guys" she began. "I know I'm kinda the odd one out for this whole robbery thing. I mean you're all doing this to help your loved ones. Twilight's thinking of Spike, Fluttershy wants to save her bunny, Rarity want to give Sweetie Belle a better life, Applejack wants to save her family's farm, and Pinkie wants to compensate her 'adopted parents. But me... I'm trying to bribe my way into the Wonderbolts. Talk about selfish."

"Hey, it's alright, Dashie," Pinkie said soothingly. "You really are the best flyer in all of Equestria! The Wonderbolts are totally nutty for not taking you in!"

Dash smiled at her good friend and fellow prankster.

"Thanks, Pinkie, but there's more to it than that. You see, I know a lot of foals out there kinda look up to me and all, especially Scoot. I can't help but wonder if some of them have had hard lives, kinda like mine. I... I just want them to know that if they have they can overcome that and do anything they set their hearts to, that if they believe in themselves they can do anything. I know it sounds kinda hokey but... I really believe that's true. I know that by robbing a bank to buy my way into the Wonderbolts, I'm kinda sorta cheating. But... none of them have to know about the _means_ I took to get to where I wanted to be, as long as they see that I've reached my goal, they'll get the message. Isn't that what matters most?"

Quiet followed. It was an interesting, thought-provoking question, but the tired and aching ponies simply didn't feel like exercising their brains at that time.

"Maybe, Dash," Twilight said quietly. "Maybe."

More silence followed. Twilight was seconds away from peacefully drifting off, but Dash's voice jerked her back to consciousness.

"Alright, Twi, your turn."

The lavender unicorn sighed in annoyance.

"Aren't you guys tired?" She asked hopefully.

"Fuck that shit," Dash replied. "We've just spilled our guts to you Twilight, now we wanna hear from you."

"Come now, dear. You trust us don't you?" Rarity said.

"Please please please please please!" Pinkie begged.

"We won' judge ya, sugarcube," Applejack said kindly.

"If you don't mind," Fluttershy squeaked.

Twilight sighed again. There was no easy way out of this. Best to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"I never knew my father," she began abruptly, garnering a few small gasps from the others. "My mother was never married. She got close to some rough and tumble stallion when she was still in school. She was pregnant with me right after she graduated, and by that time my so called 'father' had run off, leaving my mother to endure the hardships of pregnancy on her own.

"She raised me all on her own, and... she did a pretty descent job of it too. She was always fairly kind to me, fed me, bathed me, sent me to the best schools she could afford. But... she never felt like my _mother._ I can't explain it, but she just felt more like the kindly mare I was sharing a house with. Maybe it was because there was no father around. I felt... incomplete, like if I couldn't have one form of parenthood, why should I have the other. She never talked about my father, even though I tried to hint at bringing him up from time to time, she always tended to avoid the subject. Sometimes I... I don't really know if I ever really loved her. Sometimes I think she didn't really love me. She just... tolerated me. Maybe she felt incomplete too.

"It wasn't until I was accepted into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns that... I finally found a pony who was more suited to being called... my mother." She paused for a moment, thinking fondly of her alicorn mentor. "Celestia did more for me than my mother ever did, and I adored her for it. She taught me more about life, love and friendship than I could've possibly learned from anypony else, and isn't that what a mother's supposed to do? Isn't that what all true parents are supposed to do? Because that's what Celestia did... at least until she... just recently abandoned me. Abandoned us all."

Once again, there was another period of silence, this one feeling like the most profound of them all. Each pony reflected on their own parents, taking Twilights word into account. The more they thought about it, the more they began to feel like orphans, like they had never truly experienced the true kind of love that only a loving mother and father could provide.

Instead of this whole road therapy thing setting their minds at ease, it had filled them with anger and contempt at the world around them, the kinds of feelings that they wanted to immediately take out on any pony who would give them trouble in the future. If this whole robbery thing didn't work out for some reason, they may very well just end up going insane.

Nearly an half-hour had passed before Rainbow Dash felt the need to finally say something.

"Geez, never thought we'd have this much in common. I mean, the fact that we all came from fucked up families... I'm starting to think it really was fate that brought us together."

"I guess it's possible," Twilight said quietly. "But, thank you all for listening. I honestly don't think I've ever talked that much about myself before."

And one by one the Mane Six exchanged "thank you's" with each other for sharing and listening, doling out hugs and pats on the shoulders as they did. Then they all resumed lying down. they stared silently up at the cloudless, starry sky.

"Jus' think," Applejack whispered. "Tamorrow we'll be in Manehatten."

"Sleeping under a roof," Fluttershy added.

"Ready to get this whole thing underway," Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Our whole big celebration," Pinkie said blissfully.

"Indeed," was all Rarity could say before consciousness slipped from her.

Soon the night was filled with the heavy breathing and snoring of five ponies. Only Twilight lay awake still, unable to stop thinking about her biological mother, and who she considered to be her _true _mother. She thought of how after everything they had been through, Celestia was leaving her friends and her to fend for themselves, and how she just didn't know how to feel about that. She thought of Spike, wondering how he was feeling at that time. Wondering if he ever thought the same way about Twilight as she had thought about her mother.

In the distance, through the trees, Twilight could see a faint glow on the eastern horizon. It couldn't be the sun, it was only a little past midnight. It was the kind of glow that marked a major metropolis. Now she knew just how close they were.

* * *

_**Well, I hope you've enjoyed the more peaceful innocent parts of the story, because it's gonna start getting ugly real soon. The brutal violence is gonna be popping up in a couple more chapters. Thanks for reading! Please continue to review! Don't be shy, I like hearing from you guys!**_


	7. Manehatten

**Chapter Seven:**

**Manehatten**

It was at around 11:00 am when the Mane Six had their first glimpse of an automobile. They had just left the small forest area they had spent the night in and had ended up in a small, nameless town that was basically just a store and... something called a _gas station _which they had never seen before with the exception of Rarity, who had recognized the town as one of the carriage stops where the charter carriage she would take whenever she went to Manehatten usually pulled over at to allow ponies to stretch their legs and get something to eat, or to fuel up their cars, which she explained was what the gas station was for. She didn't know much about how these cars worked, she just knew that there would be a lot of them in Manehatten, and that they would probably start catching glimpses of them as they got closer to the city. At the moment though, the young mares were more interested in tossing their gross old food from the day before and buying themselves some quality eats then they were about seeing a car.

Twilight stepped out of the store after making her purchases, counting what remained of her bits.

"Fifty," she muttered to herself. "Hope the others brought more than me."

It was at that point that she heard a low rumbling sound unlike any she had heard before. It was coming from just up the road, and it was getting louder by the second. The others seemed equally curious about this noise with the exception once again being Rarity, she knew what it was. Seconds later a large metallic and almost animal-looking contraption came hurling down the street, going at least forty five miles an hour. The only thing Twilight had seen that was faster than whatever this thing was was Rainbow Dash, and right now even _she_ looked amazed at the speeding object. Through a window in the left side, an earth stallion could be seen with both forehooves gripping what looked like a round wheel.

"I-is that...' Twilight started in amazement.

"A car? Yes, Twilight, that is a car." Rarity said rather dully.

"Daaayyyom," Rainbow Dash said. "That guy's haulin' ass."

"I'll say," Rarity muttered. She then took a step towards the speeding vehicle and shouted: "IT'S UNDER TWENTY FIVE IN TOWNS, YOU IMBECILE!"

The driver made no indication that he heard her. He sped on out of what could loosely be called a town and off into the distance, the six ponies watching until it was out of sight.

"Gotta admit, them things sure do look handy," Applejack said after a while.

"They look fun!" Pinkie Pie cried out in joy. "I wish I had one! Can you imagine speeding through Ponyville in one of those things? That'd be super super uber funeriffic! Everypony'd be all diving out of the way and stuff, it'd be sooooo funny! Maybe I'll buy one with the bits I get! I can give to Mr. and Mrs. Cake! That would show them how much I care for them! And they'd no how sorry I am for being such a naughty little pony and messing up that wedding cake and-"

"Pinks," Dash cut in. "I think we get it, they're really neat." She paused to think for a moment. "Guess I wouldn't have much use for one, though, me bein' able to fly real fast and all. Still, I wouldn't mind trying one out sometime. What about you, Shy? Think you can handle one of those babies?"

Fluttershy looked deeply concerned.

"Well, um... they look kind of dangerous..." she murmured.

"They look kinda pointless is more like it," Twilight said bitterly. "Honestly what's wrong with just walking or taking a carriage? Everypony's in such a hurry these days. Besides, something about those cars just doesn't sit well with me. I don't know what it is, but they just seem like they're going to be more of a problem for Equestria than a they will be a help of some kind. I mean, did you see that black smokey stuff coming out the back of it? That can't be good for the air we breathe. I'll have to write Celestia about that and-" she stooped there. She forgot that she no longer considered herself on speaking terms with her former mentor. "Ah... actually, scratch that. If cars end up becoming the next major mode of transportation in Equestria, then so be it. I won't complain. I don't think I have it in me to complain anymore."

Her friends just nodded and shrugged. Whatever would happen would happen. They really seemed to have developed a knack for that attitude recently.

"Well, whatever the case, I can guarantee you that we'll be seeing much more of these contraptions the closer we get to Manehatten," Rarity said.

That was actually a fairly comforting thought. Now at least they had a way of knowing how close they were to their destination. They continued onward, spirits significantly higher than they had been the day before. They had even managed to bury the thoughts of their miserable excuses for parents far back in their subconscious'... for now at least.

* * *

By 2:00 pm that day, carriages were no more. Now just about every minute that passed was accompanied by a car heading either to or from the now nearby Manehatten. By this point, the Mane Six were now forced to walking a few feet to the side of the road due to the abundance of automobiles. There was temptation to hitch a ride with one of them, but Rarity had warned them that hitch-hiking was dangerous. For all they knew one of those drivers could've been a rapist or undetected serial killer. It was better to play it safe and just stick to walking, no matter how tiring it got.

"Remind me again why we decided to walk?" Rainbow Dash said in annoyance. The rough terrain on the side of the road was shredding her hooves, and she was sure that she had slept wrong on one of her wings, because she couldn't get off the ground for more than a few seconds with out being hit by a strike of pain across it.

"Because you didn't feel like flying us over," Twilight began. "We didn't feel like paying for the charter carriage, I can't teleport somewhere I've never been, and the balloon is-" she stopped abruptly, a look of dawning horror spread across her face.

"What?" Applejack urged. "What about the balloon?"

Twilight didn't answer. Her mouth hung agape and her eye twitched almost comically. Slowly, her friends began to realize what she was thinking.

"Twilight," Rarity began in a slightly shaky voice. "Please tell me that there was something wrong with the balloon, and that was why you didn't suggest we take it. Please tell me we didn't just spend nearly three days walking all the way from Ponyville to Manehatten when we could've taken the balloon."

Twilight once again said nothing, but the look she retained on her face said it all, and one by one her friends began to groan in frustration.

"You gotta be fuckin' shitting me, Twilight!" Dash shouted at her. "How could you not have thought of the balloon?"

"I-I...I," Twilight sputtered. "I remember thinking about it that day. I didn't want to haul it out to go get Rainbow Dash when I was gathering you for that chat in the Everfree forest. I guess I must've... sorta... kinda... subconsciously crossed it off in my mind at that point." She went quiet for a moment, taking in the shocked, enraged, and -in the case of Pinkie Pie- stupidly grinning faces of her friends. Even Fluttershy looked pissed, and it took a special effort to get that kind of reaction out of her. Twilight then managed to let out the only word that seemed appropriate for this moment: "Whoops."

Rainbow Dash charged at her, roaring with rage. Twilight jumped back in fear and braced herself for serious blow, but Applejack quickly cut in front of her and held the enraged pegasus back. Dash spluttered obscenities unlike any she had used before. It was getting to the point where she wasn't even saying coherent sentences anymore; it was all just one swear after another. If Rarity hadn't been so enraged as well, she probably would've fainted. But as it was she agreed with just about everything Dash was saying. Applejack, meanwhile, in spite of how annoyed she was at Twilight, was doing all she could to keep the scene from getting any uglier.

"Dash, you knock this off right now!" she yelled.

"FUCK THAT!" Dash roared. "IMMA FUCKIN' RIP HER HEAD OFF! WE WALKED FOR THREE FUCKIN' DAYS IN THIS SHIT, DODGING CARS AND CARRIAGES AND CRAZED, FUCKIN' BACKWOODS HICKS, AND NOW SHE TELLS ME WE COULD'VE TAKEN THE FUCKIN' BALLOON? I'M GONNA-"

"YER GONNA SIMMER DOWN AN' SHUT THE FUCK UP! THAT'S WHAT YER GOIN' DO!" Applejack screamed right into Dash's ear.

Dash struggled a little while longer, then slowly began to grow tired. Soon she was just breathing heavily, still muttering "fuck" and "bitch" every so often.

"Dash, I'm sorry!" Twilight apologized, her eyes starting to well up. "I just wasn't thinking properly! I was so afraid that whole day of what you guys were going to think of me for suggesting this whole bank heist thing! Please don't be mad at me, Dash! I'm really sorry!"

Dash snorted and turned away from her teary eyed friend. Twilight stepped up to say more to her, but she was cut off by Fluttershy, whose expression of fury was profoundly disturbing.

"Twilight, Angel is dying for Celestia's sake!" She said in a voice that wasn't quite a shout, but was louder than her usual muttering. "I don't have much time to save him! I'm starting to wish I had just flown here, that way Dash and I could've maybe gotten a head start while we waited for the rest of you! It probably would've only taken a day for the balloon to get here! We 'could've saved so much time!" He enraged expression suddenly melted to shock and horror. "Wh-what if he's dead right now? What if if Big Macintosh forgot to check up on him? Oh-oh my poor little Angel! I-I gotta-"

"Big Mac wouldn't ferget somthin' like that!" Applejack shouted in defense of her brother. "He's a real dependable pony, and Ah swear he won' let ya down, Shy!" She then turned to Twilight, doing her best to contain her own anger. "Twi, ah'm tryin' ta be civil here but... this whole thing is really startin' to feel like a waste o' time!"

"I-I know, guys! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" Twilight pleaded.

Nopony said anything. Dash's muttering had ceased, but the look of contempt on her face was as prevalent as ever. One by one the lavender unicorn gazed over the expressions of her friends, hoping at least one of them had calmed down a bit, and one by one she saw that they were more pissed off than she had ever seen them. Pinkie Pie was once again the sole exception; she looked rather confused, and even a little bit frightened.

"I... I thought we were havin' fun walking," she said quietly, receiving some annoyed groans in return.

"You must've mistaken my expression of pain and misery for joy," Rarity grumbled.

"Look, guys," Twilight started. "We're almost there; we're too close to lose ourselves to anger now. Can't we just keep happy thoughts in out heads and just push onward?"

None of Twilights friends seemed at all motivated by Twilights words. Rarity shook her head, rolled her eyes and continued up the the road. She had no words that could properly express how angry she was. Dash had pretty much said it all for her. The rainbow-maned pegasus herself had taken off up the road along with her.

"I'm not saying a word to anypony until we get there," she muttered. "I honestly have nothing to say to you guys right now."

"Real mature, Dash," Applejack sneered. She then turned back to her unicorn friend. "Twi, Ah'm not mad at you, Ah'm mad at the situation. This whole thing is jus' so... nuts. Ah ain't sworn like that in Celestia knows how long. Ah... Ah'll stick with ya fer now, but... this has just really put a damper on mah day, an' Ah wasn't in particularily cheery mood ta begin with."

The farm pony then took off up the road after the others. Twilight then turned to Fluttershy, hoping that she had retracted to her usual timid self. Unfortunately, the look shy pegasus gave her was still full of frustration. She turned and headed off after the others without a word.

Finally, the young unicorn turned to Pinkie Pie, and she was somewhat relieved to see that the party pony still appeared to be more confused than angry.

"I was having a fun time walking with you girls," Pinkie said quietly.

Twilight sighed and placed a foreleg around Pinkie's neck.

"Thanks for being so understanding, Pinkie," she said. "And I really am sorry for everything. If I could go back in time and convince myself to take the balloon, then I'd..." Twilight was just too downtrodden to speak anymore.

Pinkie placed her muzzle under Twilights chin and lifted it gently.

"Stay positive for me, kay?" she asked with a small grin.

"I'll try," Twilight replied reassuringly, smiling a bit as well. "Let's keep going; we're almost there."

The two then took off up the road after the others. Pinkie could've easily just bounded on up the road, leaving Twilight to lag behind her, but instead she chose to stay right by Twilights side, gently nuzzling her as she walked. Twilight was deeply grateful for the earth pony's comfort; it made her forget that for one brief moment she was genuinely afraid of her friends. The rage and frustration that had shown in there eyes had reached levels unlike any she had ever seen from them. Then there was the fact that they were about to enter a heavily populated city, and these six ponies had abilities that far exceeded what most other ponies were capable of.

_Celestia help that city. _Twilight thought to herself.

* * *

It was around 6:30 pm and the sky was growing a golden orange when the Mane Six were standing at the slope of a large hill, looking down on the massive, bustling city of Manehatten. Massive was an understatement... this city shattered the very definition of the word "epic." The city had indeed grown since Applejack had been there; she barely even recognized it. With the exception of Rarity, the ponies all gazed in awe and wonderment at the sprawling metropolis. It made Twilights jaw drop in a way that even Canterlot could never do.

Mammoth grey and black skyscrapers lined the landscape for miles and miles and miles, glistening and shimering in the glowing sunlight. Smaller box shaped buildings, some with large cement spires jutting out of of the roofs and spewing black smoke into the air filled in the gaps between them, making the city seem so dense it looked more like a solid wall. The road leading into the massive forest of buildings was nothing but a mesh of cars, trucks, and occasional carriages slowly edging their way inward. A similar scene accompanied the road leading outwards. Loud honks and shouting permeated from the cars, making the young mares jump in surprise from time to time. Whenever the line of cars would move, small excesses of dirty black exhaust would waft upwards and drift over into the faces six ponies, almost as if these traces of smoke had minds of their own.

Coughing and sputtering at the disgusting pollution surrounding still wasn't enough to dissuade them from taking their their eyes off the architectural achievement before them. As Twilight finally manged to tear her eyes away from Manehatten, she saw that her friends -with the exception of Rarity- looked as though they had forgotten the whole balloon debacle earlier that day. Their faces were so filled with rapt awe that it was likely they wouldn't even mention their previous argument ever again.

Rarity, while somewhat amused by the slack-jawed looks her friends had, figured she had to do something to get their attention back on the task at hand.

"Well, shall we?" She urged.

"Rarity, this place is amazing!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "You come here every year?"

"I certainly do," Rarity answered. "And believe me when I say it loses it's charm after about thirty seconds."

"Well what are we waiting for, girls? Let's take Manehatten!" Pinkie gleefully announced as she bounded down the hill. The others followed slowly after her, their expressions of awe beginning to fade a little, giving way to fear and apprehension as they drew nearer to the imposing city.

* * *

Rarity had not been kidding when she said Manehatten would lose its charm relatively quickly. Once the group was within the city limits, Manehatten was less an awe-inspiring eyesore and more of an intimidating monster. It felt like they were within the bowels of some sort of living breathing creature, and everything within it was struggling for life. The sidewalks stuffed to the edges with ponies trying to squeeze past each other, creating a feeling of claustrophobia unlike any the virgins to Manehatten had ever experienced. They had to keep moving or one of them would surely collapse. The streets, which now cut between buildings like a maze, were as packed with cars and carriages as ever. Where they intersected were tall aluminum poles which jutted out of the sidewalks and extended out over the street. Hanging from the ends were vertical yellow metallic boxes which had three different colored lights protruding from them, the top red one currently glowing. Every once in a while the glowing light would change to the bottom green one, and the cars facing that particular light would being moving.

It was a strange system, unlike any Twilight had seen before. She assumed that whatever light was glowing indicated what the cars facing it were supposed to do. It was a just a theory, and she supposed she could ask Rarity if she knew what they were for, but she wasn't really interested enough to bother her for that bit of info at that time. For now all she wanted was to get to a nice open area where she could think and breathe properly, as well as get her friends together on what they were to do next.

They continued on through the crowded sidewalk, bumping shoulders with passing ponies, garnering a few "watch where you're going"s and various other rude statements and profanities. Looking straight up, the tall foreboding sky-scrapers gave an almost box canyon like feel, like they were trapped at the bottom of some massive crevice with no hope of getting out. Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash, and she had a look in her eye like she just wanted to take off straight up into the air and never come back down. And indeed the pegasus did lift herself off the ground for a few seconds only to come stumbling back to the ground, grimacing in pain and rubbing the base of her right wing with her forehoof.

After about twenty minutes of shuffling there way through some of the most crotchety ponies they had ever seen, the crowd started to thin a bit as they turned to enter the random buildings that lined the streets. Eventually they came to a street corner that was fairly unoccupied. The young mares all seemed to get the same idea and formed a tight-knit circle right there. They all leaned in close to each other to make sure no passing ponies could hear what they were saying. Twilight once again made sure to gage the expressions her friends were showing to make sure she didn't say something that could be taken as inappropriate by them. Right now, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash all seemed physically shaken. Even though Dash was trying to hide it, she was clearly intimidated by this cold and uncaring city. Rarity looked rather unphased; she had obviously grown accustomed to this. Pinkie Pie, however, was still grinning stupidly at everything, as though she were still totally entranced by the city's mammoth scale.

It was a mixed bag of emotions, and Twilight had to say something to get the ball rolling. She decided to open with something in a more positive vain.

"Well, here we are!" She said with a nervous smile and giggle.

Nopony - with the exception of Pinkie- smiled or giggled back.

"Oh, gee thanks, Twi, I never would've figured that out," Dash grumbled sarcastically, still rubbing her sore wing.

"I-Is your wing alright, Dash?" Twilight asked with genuine concern.

"Fuck yourself, Twilight," Dash replied in a mock cheery tone.

Twilight sighed sadly. The balloon incident had not been forgotten. The fact that Applejack and Rarity hadn't jumped stepped in to scold Dash for her immaturity suggested that they just didn't care anymore. Still, she had to push onward.

"Alright then," she began, trying to ignore Dash's scathing glare. "I know it wasn't easy, but we're here now, we made it. That's one stage of our journey completed. Now we need to find a place to hold up while we plan out our next moves. We can't afford any hotels, so we're gonna have to squat somewhere. Rarity, do you know about any abandoned buildings or factories around here?"

The fashion pony thought for a moment.

"Well, to the east is the more... unfortunate side of town. There may very well be some old tenements we could hide out in. B-but those buildings are rather dangerous, not to mention brimming with filth and decay, and... oh, I just don't think I could manage." Suddenly she perked up and turned to the farm pony next to her. "Applejack, dear, didn't you once mention that you had family here?"

"Yeah, mah aunt n' uncle," AJ said. "But Ah ain't heard from them in a while. Ah dunno if they still live in the same area of the city, or if they even still live in the city at all. 'Sides, don't it'd be wise fer us to hunker down with 'em considerin' what we're plannin'. Wouldn't wanna get them involved, they're descent folk."

Rarity sighed in defeat.

"Then I suppose we could just continue eastward and see what we can find," she said.

"Hooray, more walking," Dash moaned.

"I'd suggest taking a cab, but I don't think there are any in this city that will fit all of us inside, and they can be somewhat costly," Rariry said.

"What's a cab?" Pinkie asked, still beaming away.

"I'll tell you some other time," Rarity replied, know that with Pinkie one question would soon become several.

"Alright," Twilight said as confidently as she could. "Lead the way, Rarity."

With that, the group continued onwards, their weariness and misery growing with each step. It was when they passed through a much more open, brightly lit and colorful part of the city that their spirits lifted a bit. The buildings all around them shimmered and glimmered with with thousands of light bulbs all blinking in unison, spelling out the names of the hottest new plays and musicals. In the center of the sparkling display was a massive video screen flashing advertisements for the latest fashion crazes and soft drinks.

Pinkie Pie's eyes went wide with jubilation and her face was nearly split in half with how massive her grin was. Twilight caught a glimpse of it, and couldn't contain a small laugh. It was just another bright moment in an otherwise dark situation.

However, the brightness lasted only a short while. Soon the six ponies were in the worst part of Manehatten they had seen yet. Nothing but derelict factories and shoddy apartments surrounded them. The ponies in this part of town were significantly harder on the eyes as well. They were as craggy and decrepit as the buildings around them, and they all seemed to wear permanent scowls on their faces. Their most distinguishing feature was actually something that they lacked: cutie marks. Not a single pony here had one. That was never a good sign for older ponies. Twilight and her friends just did what they could to avoid eye-contact and moved swiftly down the streets, looking for any place that could serve as useful for their plans.

Steadily, they were beginning to lose hope. None of the buildings here could possibly work for them. Most were amazingly still occupied, the rest were simply too unsafe to enter. It appeared as if the slightest jolt would send some of these buildings tumbling to the ground. It was growing dark out by the time Twilight was ready to announce that they try elsewhere.

"Girls," she said breathlessly. "None of these buildings are going to work for us. It's just not worth the risk to hold up in one of these death traps. Where else should we try, Rarity?"

Once again Rarity took some time to think.

"The docks down by the river might work," she suggested. "There are a lot of warehouses and wharfs located there. Chances are one of them might be abandoned. I think it would be significantly more stable than any of these buildings."

"I hope you're right," Twilight said with a sigh. "Let's take a look."

The group once again followed Rarity, who couldn't have been more relieved to get out of that part of town. She only heard about this area of town; until this point she had never been there personally. She wished she could've kept it that way.

"I'm so tired..." Fluttershy whispered, her head hanging low.

Twilight moved into to comfort her friend, but the pegasus shrugged away from her, still not over the events of that afternoon.

* * *

It had become very late at night when the six mares were trotting along the side Manehattens filthy, nameless river. It wasn't so much a river as it was a small stretch of water that flowed only a about a dozen miles from a lake north of Manehatten into another lake south of the city. On the other side of the "river" was another smaller section of the city that soon gave way to natural landscape again. Out in the distance of the body of water was a massive green statue of a mare lifting a torch high above her head, representing freedom or liberty or independence or friendship... or something along those lines.

The ponies scanned the many sets of docks that jutted out into the water. Some contained nothing more that a few small food stands, others were completely baron. One held a giant amusement park, which was closed for maintenance, much to Pinkie's disappointment. Once in a while they would see what appeared to be a factory, but it always had lights on, indicating that it was still in use. It wasn't until they got down to the very last dock that they saw a large dark building sitting at the end of it. It was definitely a warehouse of some kind, and the six ponies were drawn to it almost like moths to light.

"Please tell me it's abandoned, please tell me it's abandoned, please tell me it's abandoned," Dash repeated over and over again.

The closer they got, the more they were able to make out the exterior facade of the building. It was made up of rigid sheet metal and had long strip of glass windows encircled the upper portion of it. Now they were certain this was some kind of warehouse. But was it abandoned? A sign on the front of a metal door reading **Condemned **answered that question, and for the first time in a long while, hope entered the hearts of the Mane Six.

"Well, how about it, girls?" Twilight asked as they gathered apprehensively around the outside of the door.

"Might as well," Applejack said.

"Looks good to me," Dash added.

"I guess," Fluttershy mused.

"I suppose this will have to do," Rarity sighed.

"Let's do it!" Pinkie cheered.

It was settled.

"Alright," Twilight sighed. "Maybe one of us should take a peek inside first just to make one hundred percent sure it's unoccupied."

"Ah'll do it," Applejack offered.

The farmer stepped forward quietly pushed the door open. She stuck her head inside and looked around around for a few seconds. Her friends stared at her hopefully, praying that everything would be fine for them. She suddenly seemed to freeze, as if in terror, and she slowly backed out. The look on her face made their once hopeful hearts sink.

"We've got a problem," AJ said sadly. "There'r some stallions in there. They... look dangerous."

Immediately the others all forced their ways to the door. One by one they stuck their heads inside, and one by one they were met with a terrible sight. A group of six young stallions propped up on some large crates in the middle of the otherwise desolate warehouse. They did indeed look like trouble; their manes were shaved or done up in spikes. Some of them wore piercings through their noses and ears. But the most disturbing aspects of these ponies were what adorned their flanks: cutie marks. But these weren't genuine cutie marks, and there was nothing cute about them. These had been crudely carved in with knives by the looks of them. They formed the shapes of knives, guns, and rather crude renditions of the stallion genitalia. Each of them took turns spouting some kind of inane babble, relieving loud obnoxious roars of laughter from the others, who when then all take swigs from bottles of what appeared to be some kind of alcoholic beverage.

One by one the mares stepped back and turned to face each other. The expressions of defeat they all wore had never been more apparent than now. They looked as if they had just suffered the worst blow of all. Even Pinkie was no longer smiling.

"So now what?" Dash said, her voice raising.

"We... could try someplace else," Twilight suggested.

"I don't know any other places that would work for us," Rarity snapped, she was close to sobbing. "And... I-I don't want to walk anymore! I just can't take anymore walking!"

"W-well... maybe we could..." Twilight was at a loss for words.

Applejack stepped forward and shook her head.

"D-do ya'll think maybe we oughta just... go back home?" She whimpered. "W-we're in over our heads here."

"Fuck that!" Dash shouted in a hushed tone. "I didn't come all this way for nothing! I'm not quitting!"

"Oh yeah, you really suffered somthin' fierce, didn't ya?" Applejack shot at the cocky pegasus. 'Jus' couldn't keep yer hooves on the ground could ya? Felt like leavin' us in the dust a few times, didn't ya?"

"Get the fuck outta my face!" Dash spat back. "If Twilight had just remembered the fucking balloon you wouldn't have-"

"URGH!" Twilight groaned. 'Will you shut up about the fucking balloon? I said I was sorry several times now! Why can't you just-"

They were all suddenly cut off by a loud muffled scream. They turned to see that Fluttershy had buried her face into her forehooves and let rip with all she had. She continued on for a good twenty seconds before pulling her red tear-streaked face back out. Her sobbing immediately humbled the others, and they suddenly all felt deeply ashamed of themselves.

"I-I'm so scared," Fluttershy whimpered, burying her face again and crying even harder.

Pinkie Pie stepped up to the sweet young pegasus and gently wrapped a foreleg around her. She calmly hushed her and rocked her back and forth a bit. This went on for a few minutes before Rarity approached her sobbing friend and patted her as well.

"Do you want to go home, dear?" She asked.

Fluttershy shook her head resolutely.

"No, I want to save my Angel," she said confidently. "I want to go through with this."

Rarity sighed, then turned back to the others.

"What shall we do, Twilight?" She asked.

At that very moment something came over Twilight, something more powerful than she had ever felt before: pure, uncontrollable rage, moreso than she had ever felt before in her life. Seeing her friends reduced to this, to crying and whimpering, to being in such terrible physical and emotional pain, had awakened a monster within her. They weren't going home now, there was no chance of that whatsoever. They weren't leaving until they got what they wanted. She would make sure of that. Right now, what her friends needed was they proper pep talk, and she had a whopper of one lined up for them right then and there.

"We're staying in this warehouse," Twilight said calmly.

Her friends stared at her, confused.

"B-but what about..." Fluttershy started.

"We'll ask them to leave," Twilight continued.

"Ask them to leave?" Rarity gaped. "But... you saw how dangerous they looked! What if they-"

"If they refuse... we'll _make _them leave," Twilight said, her voice now barely able to contain the rage within her. "We didn't come all this way, suffer through countless trials and hardships, deal with horrible lack-luster parents, save Equestria on multiple occasions, and wind up getting fucked in the ass by fate... just so we could give up, turn around and go home with our tails between our legs!

"I know you're all angry with me about the whole balloon thing. Well I want you to take that rage you're feeling and direct it at THEM!" She pointed at the door. "We are NOT letting those punks in there stand in our way! We are NOT going to go quietly into the night! And we are NOT leaving this fucking city until we GET... WHAT... WE... CAME... HERE... FOR!"

That did it. One by one the expressions of fear and defeat her friends once wore slowly melted away to expressions of rage that matched what Twilight was feeling, maybe even surpassed it. Even Pinkie Pie was giving one of the most intimidating pouty faces she had ever shown.

"Yer Damned right, Twi!" Applejack exclaimed. "It ain't like us ta give up like this!"

"Here here, darling!" Rarity cried.

"I'll do it for Angel!" Fluttershy proclaimed.

"Let's gut these fucks!" Dash shouted, launching a forehoof in the air.

"IIIIIIIIIT'S PARTY TIME!" Pinkie cried, a deranged smile on her face.

Twilight launched a beam of light from her horn. A large bubble like force-field formed from it, surrounding the entire area before becoming invisible. It was a sound-proofing spell; nopony on the street nearby was going to want to hear what was about to go down in there. With a mighty buck, Applejack kicked open the warehouse door and the group made their way inside, gritting their teeth in psychotic rage, rage at everything around them, rage that was about to be unleashed on these unsuspecting punks in ways that they couldn't even begin to imagine. This was going to be messy...

* * *

_**Cliffhanger! Ha ha! Don't worry, I'll be quick with the next chapter, because in all honesty, the next one is the one I've been looking forward to writing the most!**_

_**One small thing I want to mention: I went back and added a couple of sentences to the last chapter regarding Rarity and Sweetie Belle. I know that in the show she was left with her because her parents were taking a vacation or something. The story I made up for them in this fanfic was just something I wanted to do for the sake of adding drama to the story. But apparently a reviewer took umbrage with the fact that I had taken some artistic liberty in that area. "Unnecessary and downright cheap grimdark" were his words. He wasn't really being a douchebag or anything, but his comment made me roll my eyes.**_

_**First of all, it's a story about the formerly good Mane Six losing themselves to anger and hatred, becoming downright sadistic and cruel (as the next chapter will illustrate). Of course it's going to contain grimdark elements, it's a grimdark story!**_

_**Second, sure the backstory I gave Rarity and Sweetie Belle was pretty dark and intense, but wasn't Rarity's selfless act of love kind of a bright spot that shined through it all? Because that was my intention.**_

_**Thirdly, I can't be the only person who's made some alterations to a movie or t.v shows universe for the sake of a fanfiction. If it creates better drama, then I don't think there's any reason why it shouldn't be done. **_

_**Seriously, back me up if you feel the same way I do. And a big thanks to all of you who were willing to accept my little contradiction to the MLP universe and just enjoy the story for what it is. Seriously, that guy was just one out of several hundred who have been reading this and favoriting and subscribing to it. I am very pleased with the support I have been given! Thank you all so much! Check back for more soon!**_

_**Update: the reviewer and I are on good terms now. Don't send him hate mail or anything. He's a good guy!**_


	8. No Use Crying Over Spilled Blood

**Chapter Eight:**

**No Use Crying Over Spilled Blood **

The punk stallions didn't immediately notice the six fuming mares advancing on them. They were so doped up and out of it that it was amazing they were managing to breathe. They continued to laugh at each others vulgar comments, take swigs of their vodka, and generally just reminisce about all the horrendous X-rated mischief they had committed that day.

"Did'ja hear the way she screamed when I stabbed her there?" A spikey maned colt with a "cutie" mark that looked like a scab said loudly. "She sounded like a fuckin' dyin' cow!" They all roared with laughter.

"She was fine piece of ass though," one with a bloody eyeball marked on his flank said fondly. "Too bad she was dead before I finished!" Even more laughter.

"Ahhhh... life is good for us anarchists," a large one with his mane completely shaved off and a mark of a dagger through a pony's skull sighed blissfully.

The punks all nodded, clanked their bottles together and chugged down more of the liquor. It was at that time that they heard the loud stomping of hooves approaching them. One by one they turned to see a single line of six very colorful young mares advancing on their position. Two unicorns, two pegasi, and two earth ponies, and they looked infuriated.

Twilight was slightly ahead of the others, she was leading them after all. But none of the others lagged behind due to fear. They had clearly heard the horrible things the young punks were saying from all the way across the ware house, and that had only served to enrage them further. They had never faced an enemy quite as sick as these stallions -actually they were young enough to still be considered colts- and they were determined to make what they believed to be their inevitable victory over them extra sweet in some way. They wanted to hurt these punks... badly. There was no way they could handle what Mane Six could dish out.

One by one the punks hopped off the wooden boxes they sat on and trotted a little bit towards the approaching mares. They didn't look the least bit scared or intimidated, even though the the mares were practically baring their teeth in rage. They actually appeared quite amused and excited by this unexpected arrival; maybe a little confused as well, but the excitement in their eyes over-shadowed that particular emotion. In the center of the punks was a large grey stallion with a bushy, unkempt mane and a "grossie mark", as Pinkie Pie had internally dubbed them, of an AK 47 firing a spray of bullets at a happy face. It looked as if it must've taken hours to carve. It would've been quite an achievement if it hadn't been so... wrong.

He smiled sinisterly as the mares drew closer, his gang at his sides.

"Welly welly welly, boys," he said jovially. "Check out these fine pieces of flank steak!"

The gang gave a joyous round of whoops and cat-calls. The Mane Six trotted forward a few feet more before finally coming to a halt, forming a straight line. About twenty feet of space separated them from the psychos. They glared at them angrily, hoping to intimidate them as best they could, Fluttershy not yet resorting to her signature Stare. Their glares had no effect on their foes whatsoever. Instead they continued to make suggestive noises, kissy faces and gross tongue movements at them.

"You know you girls are really making our jobs easier for us," the grey leader said. "Normally we have to drag you in here kicking and screaming before we get to have any fun with you."

"Check out that blue one," a colt with a grossie mark of what was likely his own male member said, pointing at Rainbow Dash. "I know a filly fooler when I see one. I'll bet she eats out these other bitches while they're asleep!"

The gang roared with laughter. Dash's teeth nearly shattered with how tightly she was gritting them. The words "filly fooler" brought back painful memories she had tried so hard to bury for the past many years. All it took were those two words to bring them right back to the surface.

"I want the pink one," a colt that just had a series of about nine tally marks on his flank (most likely his victims) said ravenously. "She looks like a good squealer!"

Pinkie didn't look the least bit scared. In fact, she almost seemed to grin sadistically at her potential raper, as if she were saying "we'll see who the real squealer will be."

The two opposing forces just glared at each other, as if waiting to see who would make the first move. Twilight had no fear in her heart anymore, she was no longer tired or sore, none of the Mane Six were. All their energy had come rushing back to them, ready to aid them with the ugly task at hoof. With a deep breath she took one step forward, staring the grey leader right in the eye.

"We need this warehouse, get out," she hissed.

The punks stared at around at each other, confused. They couldn't have heard her right. Was this bitch giving them an order?

"You wanna say that again, you cunt?" the leader snapped at her.

"We want you out, this is our place now," Twilight replied. "And you'd better watch your mouth, I hate that word. Now get out before this gets ugly."

They stared at her in disbelief. Nopony had ever spoken to them like that before. When they walked down the street they were used to ponies keeping at least a distance of fifteen feet away from them. Ponies would walk out into the middle of the street just to keep out of their way. And now this little mare had the gall to tell them off? It was ludicrous! And what did the punks do when they were challenged right then and there? They laughed uproariously; they slapped each other on their backs; they called Twilight that dreaded word a few more times just to annoy her; and unknowingly... they sealed their fates.

Once their laughing had subsided, the grey leader took a step closer to Twilight. He leaned in towards her and smiled wickedly.

"What if we don't wanna leave?" He asked smarmily.

"Then we'll make ya'll leave," Applejack stepped up.

The scab-marked stallion laughed.

"Holy shit, guys, check out this inbred bitch," he sneered. "What's wrong, babe? Your brother not fucking you hard enough?"

"You'd know a lot about incest, wouldn't you?" Fluttershy came to the aid of her friend. If they hadn't been so angry, they would've been shocked at what the pegasus had said. Never before had she made a remark that was even remotely nasty or cold-hearted.

The bloody eyeball-marked pony stepped up now.

"Oooh, that's real funny," he said sarcastically. "You know what else is funny? The way you're gonna look with my dick in your eye-socket."

"You miserable fucks have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?" Rarity came in, not even flushing a bit at her language.

"Hey hey, a high class bitch," the skull and dagger-marked pony laughed. "I'll do things to you that'll make your vag explode, babe!"

It was becoming more and more obvious that this was not going to end peacefully, and truth be told: the Mane Six could care less by this point. In fact, they were almost too happy to finish these sickos. They continued to glare defiantly back at their tormentors, making it quite plain that they weren't going anywhere, and that they weren't going to let big talk like that intimidate them.

The grey leader lifted a forehoof and pulled back his bushy mane from his forehead to reveal a horn jutting out.

"I guess I'd better hit this place with a sound-proofing spell," he said snarkily. "Wouldn't want anypony coming in here and ruining our fun."

"Oh that won't be necessary," Twilight said calmly. "I already did."

The punks chuckled excitedly, and surprisingly, so did the Mane Six, momentarily throwing their enemies off-kilter.

"You guys are so fucked," Rainbow Dash said quietly.

Finally, the grey leader appeared to have had enough of this foreplay. He turned to the tally marked colt and motioned him to go forwards. The punk, giggling almost foalishly, advanced on Pinkie Pie. In the cleft of his forehoof he held a switch blade.

"I want you to scream real loud for me, 'kay?" He said, barely able to contain himself.

Pinkie made a what she figured to be a pretty accurate assumption that this guy wasn't particularly bright.

"Your grossie mark's bleeding," she said to him.

He looked confused.

"My what?" He asked before turning to examine his own body.

Then, with an almost animalistic growl, Pinkie pounced on him, knocking him onto his back and garnering a yelp of surprise from him. She pinned down his knife wielding hoof with her own. The colt looked up at her in, trying as hard as he could to push her off of him, but this pink pony was surprisingly strong. He flailed his free foreleg helplessly, only to have it pinned down by her other forehoof.

With another frightening, almost dragon-like roar, Pinkie sank her teeth into the frightened punks neck. She bit down on it with all her might and pulled her head back, yanking a large tuft of skin outwards. Tally-mark roared with pain at the feeling of Pinkies razor sharp incisors slicing through his flesh. He could feel blood begin to slowly trickle down his neck. Then, with one last mighty yank, Pinkie ripped a huge chunk of flesh right from his throat. The colt screamed in horror as blood sprayed gratuitously from his wound. The feeling of pain was almost enough to knock him out. He looked up at the crazy pink pony, who was smiling sadistically down at him, her teeth stained red with his blood, and flap of his skin hanging in the corner of her mouth. He tried to beg her to stop, but couldn't get a word out; his vocal cords had been severely damaged in the attack. Pinkie spat the bloody flap of skin with an audible "plegh" sound off to the side and then bit into him again. Tally-mark screamed again, only this time it was gurgled and raspy as blood began to pour out of his mouth. Pinkie managed to get her entire mouth around his neck this time, and she put all her effort into trying to crush it. The colts eyes rolled back into his head, he began to shake and spasm uncontrollably. Only small groans escaped his mouth as he felt his windpipe begin to shatter.

The punks all watched in horror; never before had they seen one of their own reduced to this. Looking up at the six mares, they were shocked further to see that they were not the least bit shocked by what was happening. In fact, they were smiling proudly at their pink friend, as if they were pleased with her barbaric display. They then looked back up to the punks, and the looks they gave them clearly said "your move."

The grey leader aimed his horn at Pinkie and screwed up his face in concentration. Nothing but little harmless sparks flew from the end of it; he clearly had no magical ability whatsoever, at least not in combat.

"Wh-what are you assholes waiting for?" He cried out in fear to his gang. "Help him!"

The skull and dagger colt charged forwards to aid his dying friend. He barely made it a few feet when his body was suddenly seized by some invisible force. He couldn't move an inch no matter hard her tried. Twilight's and Rarity's horns were both glowing, they had trapped him with the same spell. The colt stared at them in horror, knowing full well that he was completely helpless in their grasp. He then felt his hooves leave the cold hard wooden floor, the two unicorns were lifting him about twenty feet into the air, where he hovered helplessly for a few moments.

The skull and dagger colt stared at them pleadingly, his voice was failing him, all he could do was show the fear in his eyes and hope that they would show mercy. But what he saw in these eyes of those two unicorns dispelled any hope of getting his feelings through to them. It wasn't just pure rage he saw in them, but also... glee, like they just couldn't wait to hurt him badly. He began to breathe heavily, small whimpers escaped his mouth

Rarity and Twilight both glanced at each other for a second, and they seemed to telapthically get the same idea. With chilling grins they both turned back their victim, and with their telekinesis they began to slowly pull his fore and hindlegs in opposite directions. Dagger and skull's voice began to rise in a high-pitched wail as his limbs were pulled further and further apart. Sickening crackling noises began to accompany the wails as his bones began to separate from their sockets. After a while a loud pop and the sudden odd angle of his right foreleg indicated full separation. Dagger and Skull screamed like a little filly, he cried out pleadingly:

"STOP! STOP! PLEASE STOP! NO MORE! NO MORE!"

Another loud pop; his lower left leg and been disjointed. He screamed again, blood beginning to spray from his mouth. Soon after went his fore left leg, then his hind right. Now all four of his limbs were dangling limply all around him. Dagger and Skull's screaming was reduced to whimpering and crying, along with inane babble, including a word that sounded somewhat like "mommy."

But Twilight and Rarity weren't through with him yet. With their disturbingly gleeful smiles still intact they each seized a limb and began to telekinetically twist them. They didn't stop until large shards of bone stabbed through his skin, sending fragments flying like shrapnel. The tortured colt was now had mucus and drool pouring out his nose and mouth, mixing in with the blood, which was pouring like rain from his injuries. The other punks were simply rooted to the spot as they watched this. Nothing they had ever done had been quite as brutal as this. And what scared them further... the lavender and ivory unicorns were now laughing joyously at his pain

Finally, though, the two unicorns had had enough "fun" with this loser. With one last burst of concentration, they forced his body to fold in half backwards, a loud snap accompanying it. Skull and dagger felt all feeling leave the lower half of his body, he let out one final gurgle before slipping from consciousness. Twilight and Rarity carelessly tossed his body to the side, then turned back to the other punks, thier expressions once again saying "your move."

The grey leaders legs were buckling underneath him. He turned to look at his tally-marked friend, and saw that the pink pony had just about chewed through his entire neck, a large pile of bloody flesh scraps lay next to them. Off in the dark distance lay the mangled remains of the skull and dagger colt.

There was no denying it now: these six mares were gonna kill them... slowly and painfully. Playtime was over.

"KILL THESE FUCKING BITCHES!" He roared at the remaining punks.

The colt whose grossie mark could lead one to believe his name was Cock Flank or something along those lines charged forwards, the other two remaining right behind him. He went right for Rainbow Dash who, with her quick speed, side-stepped him easily, and before he could regain himself she pounced onto him, slamming him face-first into the hard wood, breaking his nose and knocking some teeth loose.

"I'M INSAAAAAANE, MOTHERFUCKER!" Dash roared right in his ear.

She grabbed his head between her forehooves, lifted it and smashed it down into the wood. She did it again, and again, and again. Cock Flanks nose was completely shattered, and almost every one of his teeth had fallen out. Both his eyes were blackened and swollen to the point where he could no longer see. The crazed pegasus laughed manically as she bashed his head in several more times. The terrified colt could do nothing to stop her.

When the head bashing finally stopped, Cock Flank was so disoriented that he could no longer tell where he was or why he was there. He may very well have had brain damage. The colt then felt a pair of forelegs lifting him forcefully off the ground. Though he couldn't see, he could tell he was being risen several feet in the air.

When Rainbow Dash was hovering fairly close to the ceiling. Ignoring the pain in her wing, she held her victim by the armpits out in front of her. She looked as his mangled and indescribable face and smiled nastily at her handy work. She then pulled him in closer and whispered into his ear:

"At least now you won't have to worry about your looks."

"Nurgth, nughme," was all Cock Flank could manage to say with his ruined mouth.

With a cold-hearted laugh, Dash tossed him up into the air above her. He banged his head on the ceiling and came tumbling back down to her. But instead of catching him, Dash did a well-timed roundhouse kick that collided solidly with the colt. It sent him flying backwards all the way across the factory until he crashed through the windows lining the upper part of the factory. He didn't make it all the way through, though, only his front half got that far. He was impaled on on the jagged glass shards that lined the sil. Cock Flank gurgled and spat up blood for about thirty seconds before going limp.

Meanwhile, the bloody eye-ball flanked colt had just made the biggest, most fatal mistake of his life: he made eye-contact with Fluttershy.

The second their eyes met, Bloody Eye felt a wave of pure and unmitigated fear wash over him; fear at a level he had never before felt. He couldn't explain why, but when he met those blue, seemingly harmless eyes... he saw death. Death, staring right back at him, right then and there. In an instant he was reduced to a snivelling, crying coward. His legs gave way beneath him, and he layed sprawled out in front of the yellow pegasus, looking as though he were prostrating himself before her. He couldn't tear his eyes away; they were permanently glued to hers. He would not stop staring into them until he was dead.

"P-please," was all he could say.

Now Fluttershy knew she could've stopped right there. She had him beaten. The guy was begging, practically groveling for his life... or at least he was trying to. But the same level of rage that had overtaken her friends had overtaken her as well. She grabbed his head between her forehooves and in one swift motion twisted it a full one-hundred and eighty degrees, a loud snap filling the room. She then yanked it upwards and snapped it to the side, internally decapitating him. The shy young pegasus breathed ravenously, proud of her kill.

The scab-marked colt was momentarily distracted by the carnage unfolding around him. When he turned to see what was in front of him, he met the gaze of an orange earth pony, grinning nastily at him.

"C'mon now, c'mon," Applejack goaded him. "C'mon, what'choo got? c'mon!"

Scab Flank stuttered incomprehensibly, as though he were trying to talk his way out of this confrontation. But the expression the earth pony showed contained zero empathy or mercy for him. He had to defend himself.

With a weak battle cry the colt charged forward. In the flash of a second Applejack spun around, exposing her rear to him. With all her might she buck her back legs hard. Her hooves came into contact with what felt like a couple of forelegs. A loud crack filled the room, followed by a wail of pain. Applejack turned back around to see Scab Flank fall face first into the floor, his hindlegs still holding up his rear. His front legs were bent at unusual angles, the snapped bones protruding from the backs of them. He screamed and wailed like a baby.

Applejack smirked at the tormented punk before her. She let him suffer for a few minutes more before casually trotting up to him again. She then turned to expose her rear to him again.

"What's the matter? I ain't _buckin' _you hard enough?" She joked.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Scab Flank screamed.

With another mighty buck, Applejacks rear hooves collided with the colts head. He flew backwards several feet; his skull had been completely shattered, and his brain was hemorrhaging from the shards of bone that were stabbing it. He was dead before he hit the ground.

The grey leader stood frozen to the spot, his mouth hanging agape. In a matter of minutes, his gang had been massacred. His gang, he he had grown up with on the tough, cruel streets of Manehattens east side, whom he had introduced to this nihilistic lifestyle, whom he had considered his family... were all brutally murdered in faster than he could've imagined.

And now, the six mares were slowly advancing on _him_.

Pinkie Pie stepped over the body of Tally-mark, his head now hanging on by a thread of skin, his esophagus crushed. Her entire face was red with blood. Rainbow Dash landed right down with the others. The Mane Six formed a half circle, and they slowly trotted towards the terrified grey colt, looks of deranged wickedness on their faces. His legs buckled uncontrollably, his teeth chattered. He looked around the warehouse at the mangled remains of his former gang, and knew that he was seconds away from ending up just like them.

"A-alright," he stuttered. "Alright! Y-you can have the warehouse! It's yours!"

The six mares continued to advance, closing the gap between them and the grey leader. He began to panic hard-core now, his heart felt like it was about ot burst through his chest and plop down onto the floor, where he was convinced that the pink pony would most likely devour it.

"I-I said you can have it! Please j-just stop!" He cried.

They didn't stop. Finally finding the strength in his legs again, the grey leader turned and stumbled away from them. He made for another metal door on the opposite side of the warehouse... but he didn't get far. An invisible force knocked him to the ground and held him down.

"Where do you think you're going?" Came the voice of the lavender unicorn behind him.

He then felt himself being dragged across the floor towards the psychotic mares. He dug his forehooves into the wooden floor, trying to pull away from them, but to no avail. His hooves scraped loudly on the wood, leaving long scratch marks. He was then flipped over on to his back, causing him to be slid across the floor even faster. He saw that the lavender unicorns horn was glowing and that a purple aura of light was encompassing his body. He was trapped in her spell; was she going to rip him apart like she did to Dagger and Skull?

"NO! NO PLEASE DON'T! PLEASE LET ME GO!" The colt cried out, his eyes welling up.

Twililght pulled him right up to hooves of her friends. She pinned him down hard with her magic and stared angrily at him, as did the others. The colt had his forelegs wrapped around his head as if he were shielding himself.

"Look at me," Twilight ordered him. "LOOK AT ME NOW!"

Slowly the grey colt let his forelegs drop away from his face, he reluctantly looked up to see six sets of angry hate-filled eyes glaring down at him. His lip trembled, his voice let out small dog-like whimpers, and tears were now falling from his eyes. He was terrified. Twilight shook her head as she gazed down at the pathetic colt.

"WHAT IS IT ABOUT US, HUH? DO WE LOOK LIKE PUSSIES TO YOU OR SOMETHING?" She shouted down at him.

"N-n-n-no," the colt replied shakily.

"Please be honest, darling! Do we _really_ look weak to you?" Rarity came in, her voice shaking with rage.

"No! No, you don't, honest!" He cried.

"We don't, huh?" Rainbow Dash said. She then reared back and stopped her blood-stained forehooves down hard on his stomach. The grey leader groaned with pain, spluttering and coughing. "THEN WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU TREAT US LIKE WE'RE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, HUH? YOU DUMBASS FUCK!"

"DO YA'LL THINK WE GOT TA WHERE WE ARE TODAY BY BEIN' PUSHED AROUND BY THE LIKES O' YOU?" Applejack roared.

"YOU DUMB, STUPID FUCKY WUCKY!" Pinkie Pie shouted at him.

"That was really idiotic of you, wasn't it?" Fluttershy said quietly. "You should've just left when we told you to."

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry!" The colt sobbed. "I-I didn't know! I just didn't know! I-I'll go now, I swear! Please let me leave, please! I'm sorry!"

The six mares laughed nastily at him, their eyes brimming with insanity. The grey colt began to sob harder now, his entire body shook uncontrolably. Rainbow Dash leaned in close to him and spoke quietly into his ear.

"Little too late for that now, buddy. You're not leaving here alive."

And with those words the grey leader cried like an overgrown baby. A puddle of warm yellow liquid formed between his hindlegs. The six mares casually took a step back to avoid it as it expanded.

"Oh dear dear dear. I think the little baby needs a diaper," Rarity cooed mockingly.

"How 'bout ah give 'im one o' these instead?" Applejack said.

She spun around and bucked right at the area between his hinds legs. There was a loud pop the second she made contact, followed by the signature scream of pain.

The colts eyes went wide, his entire stallion-hood had been irreparably destroyed. Nothing but white hot pain engulfed that whole area, it was as if his privates were being held on a stove burner. He wretched as he screamed, vomit spilling from his mouth. He was silenced by a sharp punch right across his face, courtesy of Fluttershy. He then felt himself being forcefully hauled upwards, being forced to stand on his violently shaking hindlegs. Twilight and Applejack stood to his left and right, holding him up with their forelegs. Twilight gave him a violent knee to the gut, causing him to double over. He was pulled back up and given another gut-buster by Applejack, this one considerably harder. He threw up again, this time blood was included.

"Hold him steady," Dash said.

Twilight and Applejack held him upright again. Dash moved in front of him and stood on her hindlegs. She then proceeded to wail on him with everything she had, knocking his head back and forth with every punch and send his bloody dribble flying everywhere.

"YOU DUMB... STUPID... FUCK!" Dash roared, landing a blow with each word.

"Stand back, dear. Let me show you how to really hurt somepony!" Rarity said.

Dash stepped back and allowed the ivory unicorn to have her turn. With a sadistic grin, Rarity lowered her head and drove her horn into his gut. The grey colt screamed louder than ever; the horn had pierced through several vital organs. Rarity, not even caring that her lovely horn was now filthy with blood and guts, laughed like a psycho and twisted her head driving the horn further in.

"STOP, STOP! NO MORE, PLEASE, NO MORE!" The colt screamed.

"Why? Aren't you having fun, darling? Because we certainly are!" Rarity laughed.

The unicorn withdrew her bloody horn from the grey leaders gut, his bodily fluids poured out of the wound like water from a faucet. His voice was nearly gone due to all his screaming. All he could do now was whimper and groan.

Next came Pinkie Pie, who was giggling like a filly as she approached him. Through his blurred vision, the colt could barely make out her sadistic smile... and he freaked out.

"NO! NOT HER! PLEASE NOT HER! DONT LET HER NEAR ME, PLEASE!"

"Aw, what's wrong? You don't like our little Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy mocked. "Don't be scared, she only bites ponies she doesn't like... oh wait, she doesn't like _you. _You should be scared then."

Pinkie grabbed his head and twisted it slightly to the side so she was facing his violently twitching ear.

"Mmmmm yummy," she said, licking her bloody lips.

Without wasting a second she clamped her teeth firmly on the ear and yanked it as hard as she could. With a sickening tearing sound, it came right off, sending a jet of blood spraying all over the place. The grey colt could no longer scream, his vocal cords were shredded. Though his mouth was wide open, all that escaped it was a high-pitched squeal.

Pinkie Pie spat the ear into her hoof and examined it for a moment. She then brought it back up to her mouth.

"Hey, can you hear me? Helloooooo?" She said into it.

The mares all laughed gleefully at Pinkie's morbid joke. The pink pony took a bow and tossed the ear aside.

Now it was Fluttershy's turn, and the yellow pegasus immediately hit the grey colt with her stare. For him, this was worse than any of the physical torture he had endured thus far. This pegasus' eyes filled him with more pain and fear than anything else, and the worst part was no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look away. The world around him melted away as those piercing blue eyes penetrated his very soul like a white hot knife. They took away his hope, his sanity. Now he just wanted to die, he just wanted it to end.

But the six psychotic mares weren't quite done with him yet. Twilight and Applejack let go of him, and he instantly collapsed onto his back. Vaugely aware that he was now free of their grasp, the colt rolled over onto his stomach, now free of that dreaded gaze. Lifting his head a bit, he could barely make out an open door ahead of him, the one the six mares had most likely come in through. Unable to lift himself off the ground, he pulled himself along with his forelegs, leaving a trail of blood as he went. The door edged closer and closer. For one brief moment he thought he could really make it, nopony was pulling him back or holding him. Maybe they'd had their fun with him and were going to let him leave... horribly mutilated and most likely never able to use his male member properly ever again, but at least he was alive, and maybe his battle scars would earn him the respect of more followers.

The Mane Six walked along side him, just watching him crawl with sadistic glee in their eyes.

"C'mon now, almost there," Applejack encouraged mockingly.

"Better hurry before the door closes," Fluttershy urged.

The colt crawled faster, breathing intensifying.

"Go, go, go, go, go," Dash chanted.

It seemed like hours had passed when he was right at the threshold, the cool breeze from outside hitting his blood-stained face. He reached a forehoof through the threshold and attempted to give himself one last big pull. The second he felt the cold dock wood on the other side, the door slammed shut on his leg, breaking it. All the grey pony could do was moan as the pain ripped through his foreleg. All around him he heard the uproarious laughter of the six mares. Looking up he saw that it was the cyan pegasus who had shut the door on him, and she was laughing the hardest.

"Aw, not fast enough, huh?" She taunted.

"_Slow-poke, slow-poke, you are a slow-poke_," Pinkie sang.

The colt broke down and cried into the floor. Why were they doing this to him? He said he was sorry, he said he would leave, why did they have to torture him like this? For a moment he wondered if the many mares he had raped and murdered felt the same way about him.

Finally, the Mane Six had grown bored of "playing" with this guy; it was time to finish this.

At that moment Twilight noticed a wooden staircase located on the far side of the factory leading up to what appeared to be a wooden balcony and a door that most likely marked an office. Her friends all noticed it too, and it was as if they all had the same crazy idea at once.

Dash pulled the pathetically crying colt out of the door and and dragged him with Pinkie's help towards the stairs, the others following closely behind. Sobbing heavily, the grey former leader made one last effort to beg for his life.

"I-I'm sorry," he mumbled. "P-please have m-mercy! Please!"

"Fresh out, bub," Dash said curtly. "Ya shouldn't have tried us."

"I'm s-sooorrryyy," the colt wailed.

"We heard you the first time," Twilight snapped at him.

"I-I'll never hurt another p-pony again, I s-swear."

"We know you won't," Fluttershy said matter-of-factly. "We're going to make sure of it."

"P-P-please," he begged. "Y-you d-don't have to d-do this."

"We know we don't _have_ to do this, dear," Rarity said. She then leaned in close to him and whispered: "We just _want _to."

Arriving at the stairs, Dash and Pinkie pushed him forwards and held him down against the steps. Dash pushed his face up against the sharp edge of one of the steps.

"Open your mouth!" She ordered him.

The grey colt pursed his lips together and shook his head rapidly. If his death was an inevitability, he wasn't going to make it easy for them. Rarity, her ladylike demeanor completely gone, slammed her hoof down on his broken leg. The colt groaned in pain, but managed to keep his teeth clenched together. Pinkie, the blood-stained smile returning to her face, jabbed her hoof into his gut and vigorously wriggled it.

"Tickle tickle tickle," she cooed.

It was too much now, the pain in his leg mixed with tickling sensation in his gut caused the grey colts teeth to slowly part, he let out a loud, raspy half-scream half-laugh. Dash immediately took this chance and forced his mouth onto the edge of the step. She pushed him in as far as he would go, making sure his mouth was fastened on tightly enough so that he couldn't pull himself off. She then turned and gave Applejack a nod. The orange earth pony turned her back to him and placed one of her hind-hooves against the back of his head.

"Ah'm sorry it had ta end like this, sugar," she said, then thought for a moment. "Actually... no Ah ain't."

The colt gave one last scream, muffled by the step. Applejack pulled back her leg and bucked with full force. A sound similar to a watermelon exploding filled the room. She felt warm blood and squishy brain matter splatter onto her legs and rear end. She then slowly turned around to see the results. All that remained of the young colts' head was a bloody pulp of flesh, brains, teeth and skull, dripping and dangling all over the step.

The Mane Six just stood there in silence, breathing heavily, almost beast-like. Sweat poured down their faces, mixing with the blood that had been splattered there. Their eyes twitched and their bodies shook with fury. They looked like escapees from and insane asylum, and they remained that way for nearly ten minutes

Twilight gazed around the warehouse at the six dead bodies sprawled out across the warehouse, each one more disfigured than the last, and a slowly creeping feeling of sickness began to rise up in her. It was now that she began to realize what she and her friends had just done, and as she turned to look at the others, she saw that same sickness beginning to show in thier faces. The anger was completely gone, now it was fear, fear and dread. Applejack stared down at the dead grey colt before her, then stumbled away from it as if were some kind of dangerous animal.

"Oh ma'h sweet Celestia, what've Ah done?" She cried hysterically.

"Wh-what've we all done?" Fluttershy whispered, her voice trembling.

"I-I was just so angry!" Rarity stuttered in fear. "I w-wasn't myself! I-I didn't want it to be this way!"

"Holy shit," Twilight muttered, her world becoming dizzy. She raised a hoof to her head and sat down hard. "Holy mother of Luna. Oh fuck me, FUCK ME! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?"

"Wait! Wait, guys, chill out a sec," Dash came in. "We... we didn't do anything wrong!"

"DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG?" Rarity cried. "WE'VE JUST COMMITTED MURDER! TWILIGHT SWORE WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO KILL OR MAIME ANYPONY, BUT NOW WE'VE-"

"IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE!" Dash roared back. "WE ASKED THEM TO LEAVE AND THEY CHOSE TO ATTACK US! WE HAD TO DO WHAT WE DID! THEY HAD TO DIE!"

"No, no they didn't," Fluttershy whimpered. "We could've just gone someplace else; maybe there could've been a place across the river or something. Why didn't we just... just..." the pegasus collapsed to the ground and broke out in a fit of crying. "I-I've never used my stare for anything like that before! I'm a... I'M A MONSTER!"

Pinkie Pie stared down at Fluttershy and patted her gently. She looked just as frightened as the others did, though it was impossible to tell if it was because she was aware of what she had just done, or if it was because seeing her friends this way was upsetting her.

"We're... not gonna get in trouble for this are we?" She asked in a terrified voice.

"No we aren't, Pinks," Dash answered confidently. "Nopony will ever know about this."

Applejack stared at the pegasus in disbelief.

"How the hay can ya say that, Dash?" She snapped. "Those colts are dead! We killed 'em! Ponies are gonna come lookin' fer 'em, 'an when they find out what happened, they'e throw us in the slammer! Maybe even death row considerin' how sick this whole scene looks!"

"AJ, stop it!" Twilight snapped. "You're scaring Pinkie and Fluttershy!"

"I'm already scared," Shy squeaked.

Pinkie Pie's mane had slumped down again and her lip was trembling wildly.

"Ah-Ah'm sorry," Applejack said sincerely. "Truly Ah am. Ah just... ah don' know what came over me! Everythin' that's been happenin' jus'..." she broke off there and began to sob.

Five of the six broke out into a fit of crying now. Pinkie was sobbing into Fluttershy's back, who was still sprawled out on the floor.

"H-he begged for his life! He begged!" The pegasus sobbed.

Rarity and Twilight had embraced, their tears trickled down each others manes and onto their backs. Applejack walked off a few feet away from the others to be on her own for a minute. Her shoulders jutted up and down, signifying her sobs.

It was only Rainbow Dash who remained dry-eyed. She stared around at her friends with genuine concern. She had to snap them out of this funk; there was no way they could plan a robbery in this state. She searched her mind for a moment to think of the right thing to say. Suddenly, something came ot her, something she knew would not only get the others back on their hooves, but was also undeniably true.

"Nopony's gonna come looking for them," she said soundly.

The others slowly turned to look at her, confusion in their swollen red eyes.

"What are you talking about, Dashie?" Pinkie asked.

"Think about it," Dash began. "Do you really think these assholes have any family or significant others who care about them? No, they don't. Ponies like them turn their backs on that kind of stuff. They don't need love care, they just want to sit around complaining about how life sucks for them and then go out ruin or take the lives of anypony who seems happier than them. Trust me, nopony is going to miss these fuckers, nopony is going to send out any search parties for them, They're NOT going to be missed!" Dash paused for a moment, another thought had come to her head. "And besides, you heard what they were saying in here, didn't you? They were murderers and rapists! They were gonna do the same thing to us! Who knows how many they've tortured and killed. We... we did this city a favor by taking them out! We're heroes for Celestia's sake! We ougtha be commended for this! Think of all the young mares out there who can now walk the streets of Manehatten safely 'cause they don't need to worry about punks like them snatching them up and taking them off to do Celestia knows what! We... did a good thing... we really did."

Dash had sounded like she was trying to convince _herself_ much more than she was her friends, but surprisingly they really seemed to calm down and take what she had said into consideration. Slowly but surely their crying began to subside.

"Maybe you're right, Dash," Twilight said after a moment. "Maybe this city really is better off without them, and maybe they did deserve to die." She paused for a second. "But... but did we really have to torture them like that? Why didn't we just... get it over with quickly?"

"Do you think they would have done the same for us?" Dash asked. "No, they wouldn't. They'd have taken their time and drawn it out as long as they could. They were sick, sick fucks, and I feel no regret whatsoever in doing what I did. Maybe I... enjoyed it a little more than I should've, but..."

Everypony went silent again. They thought back to how they had handled the whole situation.

"I think we _all_ took a little too much enjoyment in that," Twilight said quietly.

"Enjoyment?" Rarity cried aghast. "Acted like maniacs, we did! I was... so unladylike! What would Sweetie Belle say if she saw me like this? Covered in blood and filth, surrounded by dead bodies? She's dealt with enough horrors in her life to suddenly find out her sister is a murderer!"

"HEY!" Dash snapped."I thought we made it clear that nopony would ever know about this! You guys cannot afford to start losing it now, not after all we've been through! Yeah, what happened a few moments ago sucked, but it happened, and it's too late to do anything about it! We need to just calm the fuck down and focus on the task at hoof! Twilight, back me up here, I know you understand what I'm saying."

"I... I think I do, Dash," the unicorn responded slowly. "It's true that what happened was unfortunate, but there was no other way to deal with it. We tried to be civil with them, and they chose to harass us. Now we've been through a lot the past few days, there's a lot of anger and sadness that's been building up inside us. It had to be released at some point, it was only inevitable." A comforting notion suddenly came to her. "At least we able to take it out ponies like these. Imagine if we went into the Bank of Equestria feeling as angry as we were."

That statement seemed to hit a cord with the others. Slowly the stress began to fade from their faces.

"Now _that _would've been a real tragedy," Dash said. "But what happened here... was nothing. Absolutely nothing."

They sat there in silence again, mulling over what they had just done in their heads, and the more they considered Rainbow Dash's words, the more they began to feel that maybe they _had _something good after all. They thought of all the possible lives they had saved now that they had removed the threat of those punks, they thought of the horrible things that could've been done to them if they hadn't fought back, and more and more they were starting to feel more right about themselves. Pinkie Pie in particular seemed almost completely forget the events that had occurred moments ago, because her mane was poofy again, and a small smile was starting to return to her face.

"So," Rarity said after a while. "What do you propose we do now Twilight?"

The lavender unicorn sighed.

"First," she began. "We should get rid of these bodies before they start to rot and attract flies. The river should do nicely for that, and something tells me we wouldn't be the first ponies to dump dead bodies in there." Pinkie chuckled a bit awkwardly at that. "Then we're gonna back in here, roll out the pad, and just try to sleep this whole thing off. It's been a terrible day for all of us, we just need to relax and get our heads straight. Tomorrow we're gonna start getting this thing planned out. We're gonna pull it off, I know we are. We just need to... forget everything bad that's happened to us and push forward. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get back to our loved ones and forget this whole thing ever happened."

Twilight received a round of nods from her friends, and then they all set off to collect the bodies. Twilight hit the dead grey colt with her telekinesis and carried him off, his body dangling limply in the air, and blood and brain matter dripping abundantly from his crushed head. Twilight knew that they would have to clean all this blood and vomit up at some point, but tonight was not the night to do it, they were all too tired.

Rarity grabbed the dagger and skull colt with her magic and carried him off as well. She kept his body hovering a fair distance away from her own, not wanting him to drip anymore blood onto her, she was gross looking enough as she was.

Pinkie Pie gazed down at her tally-marked victim. In his hoof he still grasped his switch blade tightly. Pinkie gazed at it longingly, that twitchy feeling in her gut, which usually warned her of impending danger, told her that somehow that knife might prove useful in coming days. She yanked it out of his hoof and placed it in her bag, which was still hanging by her flank. She then lifted the body, his head dangling limply by what little skin attached it the rest of his body, and flung him over her back. He was a little heavy, but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

"Damn, Pinkie," came Rainbow Dash's voice as she hovered back down to her, carrying in her forelegs the dead bloody body of the colt she had murdered. It had taken her quite effort to pull him off the shards of glass that he was impaled on. "You really unleashed the beast on that guy."

Pinkie giggled a bit.

"I... sure felt like one," she said quietly.

She then continued onward, her dead body in tow. Rainbow Dash followed, staring a bit apprehensively at the pink pony.

Fluttershy carried her victim in her forelegs. She was unable to look down at him due to his head still twisted around so it was facing her. His eyes were still opened, looking up at her, looking... but not seeing. Shy couldn't bear to look him in the eye again, not after the last look her had given her before she killed him. She would never forget it, it would haunt her forever.

Applejack carried Cock Flank on her back, the jagged bones protruding from his forelegs poking her with each step she took. She was a tough pony, but that feeling was nearly enough to make everything she ate that day come rushing back up. She met the others at the door, where Twilight took a quick peak outside to make sure the coast was clear. She gave a nod, and one by one they filed out, moving quickly to the edge of dock.

It was full dark outside now, the bright lights of the buildings in the distance reflected on the rippling water below, creating an almost laser light like show of sorts. It was cold, unseasonably cold. But then again this was a different part of Equestria, maybe it stayed relatively cool here year round. The light breeze admittedly felt good on the heavily bloodied and perspiring mares, though, so nopony complained of the unusual cold.

They each lined up against the edge of the dock and looked down into the dirty black water. One by one they tossed the corpses into the depths, each one floated on the surface for a few seconds before slowly sinking, sending up a barrage of bubbles.

The Mane Six stared quietly at the murky water, wondering if the bodies were tumbling along with the flow of the river, or if they had gotten stuck on some rocks near the bottom and would remain there forever. It was a disturbing thought, but it was a one they couldn't shake.

Rainbow Dash, still determined to keep her friends' spirits high, turned to Applejack. A somewhat satisfying thought came to her head.

"You know, AJ, I'll bet it was punks like these who set fire to your farm," she told her.

Applejack stared at the pegasus, her heart began to pound wildly.

"Do... do ya think maybe..." she said in disbelief.

"That these were the same ones?" Dash finished for her. "Well, that'd be a long shot... but, I guess ya never know."

One by one the ponies headed back for the warehouse, but Applejack remained rooted to the spot for a moment. She had said the night before that she couldn't bring herself to tell the others what she would do if she caught the punks responsible for her farms demise. Now she knew she would never have to tell them, she had just moments ago demonstrated what she would've done on that poor soul sinking to the bottom of the river. It was a slightly comforting thought, but still, she convinced herself that it would be one hay of a coincidence, and it was likely that the real culprits were still out there somewhere, probably up to more trouble. Still, she could dream, couldn't she?

Back inside the warehouse, the mares located a small, dirty bathroom in one of the far corners. They took turns cleaning themselves off at the decrepit sink inside it. the water pressure was low, and the water itself was a bit cold and a bit discolored, but nopony complained, not even Rarity; there was just too much on her mind for her to be bothered by filthy water, and it _did _feel good to get that blood off of her.

Once they were all cleaned up, Rarity set out her sleeping pad, enlarged it, and the six mares took their positions on it. They lay there quietly for a while, staring up at the dark ceiling, already missing the stars they had seen the night before. They listened to dull hum of the traffic off in the distance, and the lapping of the water against the dock supports below them. Rainbow Dash, who was lying on the far left side of the pad, rolled over to the left side of her body to let up on her aching right wing; she was starting to wish she hadn't flown at all that day. Once she was comfortable she took a deep, cleansing breath through her nose. Something stank. She sniffed the air a couple more times then opened her eyes. She was facing the puddle of urine that was so graciously left behind by the grey leader. She groaned and rolled back over onto her back. She was just going to have to suffer with the pain in her wing.

"This is so fucked up," she muttered.

"Just go to sleep, Dash," Twilight said from clear across the other side of the pad.

It became silent once again, at least for a little while. Minutes passed when a light, high-pitched sobbing filled the room. Applejack turned to see that Fluttershy, who was next to her, had tears pouring down her cheeks.

"I-I'll never forget the look he gave me," she whimpered quietly.

Applejack extended a hoof towards her friend and gently stroked her foreleg.

"It's alright, hon, it's alright," she cooed. "Ya did what ya had ta do."

Fluttershy's sobbing slowly faded off as the night wore on. Eventually it was only Twilight who laid awake.

She knew they had done what they had to do, that there was no other way. But still. why had she and her friends taken so much pleasure in the torture and murder they had committed. Sure they were all angry, and maybe those colts _did _deserve what they got, but was that any excuse for enjoying it the way they did? The fact that it hadn't even taken the corrupting influence of a conniving draconequus to drive them to this disturbed her further; they had done it out of their own free will.

Twilight rolled over onto her right side, she was nearly hanging off the edge of the pad. The unicorn noticed a small crack in the wooden floor next to her. Out of curiosity she leaned in towards it and took a peek. She could make out swirling black water, and for a brief second, she could've sworn she saw the pale face of a dead, wide-eyed colt staring back up at her... accusingly. Twilight pulled away from the crack and buried her face into her pillow. That dead, pale face was the last image she had in her mind before falling into another nightmare fuled sleep.

_What have we done._

* * *

**_And there ya go. Well... that was a hay of a chapter to write. It took me a little while longer to write than I thought, though. Turns out it's my longest chapter yet. I kinda enjoyed writing it, I gotta admit. Maybe somethings wrong with me. I dunno. Anyway, hope you found it affective._**

**_And thanks for all the support last chapter. Everything's cool now. We're all friends here! Thanks for reading! More soon!_**


	9. Stage One: Layouts

**Chapter Nine:**

**Stage One: Layouts**

"FUCK!" A loud roar snapped Twilight awake.

The unicorns vision swam into focus, and as the unfamiliar surroundings became clearer to her, she began to panic a bit. It took her a moment to remember what she was doing here in the derelict warehouse in the middle of a city she barely knew. It all came rushing back to her shortly, though, and her spirits sank a bit. She had hope everything, especially the night before had just been some horrible nightmare. Not just the night before, but the past few days. She wanted so badly to wake up in her library again, to know that her sanctuary was standing proudly. But reality set it real fast: she was in filthy abandoned warehouse on a dock in Manehatten with her friends, they were in the process of planning out what was sure to be an elaborate bank heist, and, worst of all, the night before she and her friends had brutally murdered a group of punk colts.

Twilight Sparkle would never feel like the same pony after what she had done last night. She had never for a second expected that at some point in her life she would be forced to take the life of another. Whether it was self-defense or not, she had never wanted that kind mark on her soul. It was too late now, though. What was done was done, and she was going to have to live with it 'til the day she died. She wondered if her friends felt the same way.

"FUCK THIS PLACE!" Another loud cry of rage.

Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts, and her attention was turned to the cyan pegasus on the far end of the sleeping pad. Rainbow Dash was on all fours, wiping her self off vigorously and cursing under breath. Twilight soon realized that she was the only one lying down now; the others were all standing wide awake around her, staring at Dash in confusion.

"What's wrong, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked with worry.

"Sometime during the night I fell off the damn pad and rolled through the pile of that asshole's piss!" The pegasus shouted angrily. "Plegh! Aw fuckin' A, I think I got some in my mouth!"

Pinkie Pie tried to stifle a giggle, but Dash heard it clearly enough.

"Oh fuck you, Pinkie! Maybe you should've tried sleeping on the edge of this thing at some point! Why did I always have to sleep there, huh? Rarity's supposed to represent generosity, why didn't she give us the middle part or something?"

Rarity, who was looking more groggy and disheveled than she had ever looked before, scoffed indignantly. The fashion unicorn had been bearing crosses for her friends since this whole journey started... heck, since the day they all met. She wasn't going to put up with this now.

"How dare you impugn my kindness?" She spat. "Perhaps you would've been better suited to sleeping in the dirt during our nights on the road! I was mere seconds away from pushing you as far away from the rest of us as possible, what with the way you were snoring!"

"Wanna hug, Rare?" Dash said with an evil grin.

She then proceeded to fly after the ivory unicorn, holding her forelegs wide apart, exposing her urine soaked skin to her. Rarity shrieked and galloped away from enraged pegasus.

"Urhg! Enough of this foalishness, Rainbow Dash! I demand that you stop this instant!" She cried.

"What, you don't want a hug? How 'bout a kiss then?" Dash said, puckering her lips and making kissy sounds.

"Away from me, you brute!" Rarity screamed.

Dash laughed like a nut and continued to give chase.

"Oh, I'm a brute, am I?" She said nastily. "You and Twilight really did a number on that colt last night! Poor bastard was crying for damn mommy! Didn't you hear him?"

"DASH, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Twilight yelled, finally finding her voice. The last thing she needed was a reminder of last night.

Dash's laughing abruptly halted. She suddenly grimaced and tumbled to the ground. Her wing, which had felt a little better that morning, was suddenly struck with pain again. She rubbed the base of it and groaned with annoyance.

"Dammit. What the fuck is wrong with my wing?" She murmured to herself.

Twilight took a few breaths to calm herself down. She noticed Fluttershy was sitting on her haunches next to her. Her face was blank and pale, no doubt she was still thinking of last night.

"Hey, you alright, Shy?" Twilight asked, gently patting her friend on the back.

"Not really," Fluttershy shook her head. "I just want to get this whole thing over with and go home."

"So do I, hon," Twilight gave her friend a squeeze. "We're gonna start getting this thing planned out today. That book I read gave me quite a bit of useful insight into the process of robbing a bank. It's not going to be easy, but it's also not going to be impossible. We have information on our side, we can do this."

The shy pegasus nodded.

"I'll try to be as helpful as I can," she said.

Twilight gave her friend a loving nuzzle.

"Believe me, Fluttershy, none of this would be possible without you," she said sincerely.

Fluttershy returned the nuzzle with one of her own.

"You're so good to me, Twilight. You really are one of the best friends a pony could ask for."

Twilights heart melted at those words, but at the same time she couldn't believe them. After all, would a good friend get such a sweet young mare caught up in a mess like this? Force her to do something that no pony with at least half a conscience would even consider doing? Still, she reminded herself that Fluttershy had agreed to do this of her own volition. As for the events of last night, she'd had full control of what she was doing. Twilight really couldn't blame herself for what Fluttershy had done to that bloody eyeball punk. It made her wonder, though: maybe Fluttershy had some issues aside from the neglectful parents that she hadn't brought to light with the others yet. She was sure that all her friends hadn't shared _everything_ about their pasts just yet. Maybe they would open up more as time went on. Though, she had to admit: she was not particularly looking forward to Pinkie Pie's story. If it was enough to upset the crazy party pony to the point of not wanting to talk about it, then it had to be something pretty horrible. And the way she had ripped that guys throat apart last night... sweet Celestia, Twilight didn't even want to think about it.

After a while the lavender unicorn pulled away from her pegasus friend and surveyed the area for her friends, wanting to gather them up to get the planning process started. Her hear skipped a beat when she realized that a certain orange earth pony was nowhere in sight.

"Guys, where's Applejack?" Twilight asked nervously.

"She went to the fast-food place up the street to get breakfast for us," Pinkie said. "She left about ten minutes before you woke up."

This answer didnt satisfy Twilight. If anything, it made her more nervous.

"Did she... look nervous at all when she left?" She asked worriedly. "Did she seem in a hurry?"

"No, why?" Pinkie said curiously.

Rainbow Dash understood what Twilight was implying, though, and she instantly rounded on her friend.

"Look, Twi, AJ and I give each other a lot of crap, and she's definitely a lot of things to me, but one thing she's _not_ is a snitch! She's not a coward either for that matter! I would trust her with my life! She wouldn't sell her friends out like that! She's true to us, like the Element of Honesty should be!"

"Alright! Alright! Take it easy, Dash!" Twilight said. "I trust her too! I just... can't be too careful, you know?"

Dash exhaled sharply and stepped away from the lavender unicorn.

"She didn't turn herself in, she wouldn't ever do that," she muttered, more to herself than to Twilight.

* * *

Applejack trotted down the street, on her back she carried a bag filled with the standerd fast-food for ponies: hay fries, veggie burgers, oats, the usual. The marking on the bag: McDerpy's. Who'd have thunk that an overworked, underpaid mailmare would one day come to own the most successful fast-food chain in all of Equestria? And Rainbow Dash had never thought Derpy Hooves would amount to much. Now she was a multi-billionaire with summer homes in Las Pegasus and Canterlot.

_At least she's makin' out well, _Applejack thought to herself as she trotted along.

It was fairly cool out, the sun was partially blocked by some overcast clouds, typical Manehatten weather. Cars sped past her, blaring their horns, occasionally making her jump and almost drop her bag. This city had certainly changed.

As she neared the dock again, she saw a rather straight-faced stallion walking in the opposite direction towards her.

"Mornin'!" Applejack greeted cheerily, just hoping for some sense of hospitality in this cold cold city.

The stallion said nothing, he didn't even make eye-contact. He just brushed past the farm pony without a sign of acknowledgement. Applejack frowned bitterly.

"Yeah, same ta you, ya twat," she muttered under her breath. Now she remembered why she left this city so long ago: it was full of upscale snobs and downright unfriendly folk... well, it was that and homesickness.

The farm pony turned onto the dock and headed to the warehouse. She pushed through the door and found four fairly nervous looking ponies waiting inside for her. The four were joined by Rainbow Dash, who was just coming out of the bathroom, her cyan fur dripping wet, as if she had just rinsed herself off.

"Uh... howdy, ya'll," she said with a sheepish smile. "Got some grub fer us."

AJ grabbed the top of the bag with her teeth and set it down in front of her. The others slowly approached her.

"Thanks, Applejack, that was really nice of you," Twilight said with a small smile.

"Ain't nothin' Twi," AJ replied. "It ain't exactly breakfast, they stopped serving that at 10:30, but it should do well enough fer us."

"Wow, we really slept in, didn't we?" Pinkie Pie said.

"Well, after a night like last night I'd say we earned it," Rainbow Dash remarked.

One by one the mares reached into the bag and grabbed whatever they could get their hooves around and thanking Applejack in turn. They ate in silence for a while, the only noises being the wooden dock creaking and groaning under them and the occasional blaring of a cargo ships horn out on the river. Applejack glanced over her friends as she gulped down some hay fries. They all still appeared to be a bit uneasy about something, and at first AJ assumed they were still worried about the whole ordeal last night and what it would mean for them. It was true that they would probably never feel like the same ponies again; it was going to be a terrible little secret that they would have to keep hidden from the world forever. Could they really manage to do something like that? Because it seemed like there could be a very real possiblity that one of them could break down from the stress of all that guilt and turn herself in, ratting out the others to get a better deal. AJ had read about that kind of thing, and she had to admit it seemed like a pretty low and cowardly thing to do, even if the crime was as horrible as could be imagined. She could never even begin to imagine selling out her friends like that, but at the same time she wondered if her friends felt the same way.

"Ya'll okay?" She asked them after a while. "Ya seemed a little antsy when Ah got back."

"Oh, yeah I'm fine, AJ," Twilight was the only one who answered. "It's just I didn't know where you were when I woke up, and... I just thought that... maybe you..."

"That Ah what?" Applejack asked, sounding suddenly offended. "That Ah'd cut an' run 'r somethin'?"

"Well, I mean, we all kinda freaked out last night and... I just..."

"Fer Celestia's sake, Twi!" Applejack snapped. "Ah wouldn't do that to ya'll! Ah _do_ have a considerable sense of honor, ya know?"

"I know, AJ," Twilight assured her. "Rainbow Dash vouched for you. I trust you, we all do."

"Oh, she did huh?" Applejack said, gazing over at the rainbow maned pegasus, who gave her a confident smile and nod. "Well shoot, ya ain't so bad sometimes, sugarcube."

"Yeah, _sometimes_," Dash muttered.

"But honestly," AJ continued. "Ah love you guys, Ah'd never do anythin' ta put ya in danger."

"It's okay, Applejack, we believe you," Fluttershy said as she munched on some of her veggie burger, a bit of it falling from her mouth. "Oh dear, the one time I speak and it has to be with my mouth full. I'm so rude."

"Shy, it's no big deal," Dash said. "You really need to stop being so hard on yourself all the time, especially now. We're all on edge as it is; we just need to stay positive."

"I-I'm sorry," Fluttershy murmured, hanging her head low and allowing her pink mane to hide it.

Dash sighed in annoyance. If Fluttershy was going to be of any help during this robbery, she was going to have to step up and start being more assertive. Dash decided right then and there that she was going to make it her personal goal to get the shy pegasus to toughen up before the heist was initiated. It wasn't going to be easy, she was really gonna have to get under Fluttershy's skin in order to provoke some kind of heavy emotional response. But it wouldn't be impossible, she had seen first hand what this pony was capable of with the right motivation. It was just a matter of striking the right nerve, hitting her with something she didn't want to have brought up, and Dash had a few good ideas about what that might be.

* * *

"Alright," Twilight began once they were all fed. They sat in a small half-circle facing Twilight. "Before we get this thing under way, I just want to say one more thing about last night," she waited for the groans and moans of the others, but they didn't come, much to Twilights relief. Perhaps they had come to terms with it much quicker than expected. "I know it was a really terrible thing, and I'm sure you all are having a lot of trouble coping with it. The truth is... the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't have promised we wouldn't have to kill anypony. I mean, I knew what we were getting into, it's a violent and ugly business, and it was more than a little likely that things would get ugly at some point.

"For the past couple days we've been so full of rage and sadness, we've been the victims of fate, so when we finally had a chance to let that rage run wild, when we had a chance to make somepony else the victim... we just... kinda lost it, I guess. At least that's how I felt."

"Amen," Rainbow Dash remarked. The others nodded as well.

"Well anyway, what's done is done," Twilight continued. "We can't change the past. We just have to accept what happened, push on and go through with this. I'm sure that in time we'll be able to go back to leading rich fulfilling lives, and this whole thing will just be a bad memory. Can we all do that?"

There was a significantly longer delay this time before the others were able to nod.

"Maybe if worst comes to worst we can all change our names and identities, maybe get face-lifts or something, move to separate cities, just start over fresh," Dash mused.

"Maybe that would work for you, dear, but in case you've forgotten, the rest of us have families and loved ones that simply cannot just up and abandon," Rarity said.

"Oh... right," Dash muttered, she suddenly looked a little down. "Lucky you."

"Besides," Pinkie Pie chirped. "I love the life I have now. I wouldn't give it up for anything in all of Equestria!"

"Alright, alright, it was just a suggestion," Dash groaned.

"Alright then," Twilight started up again. "So from this point forward we never speak of what happened last night ever again, and I mean _ever_ again, to the day we're on our death beds. Agreed?"

"Agreed," they all replied in unison.

"Good," Twilight said with a deep breath. "So, before we get into the aspects of _how _we're going to pull this off, there are some things we're gonna need: weapons, masks, something to cover our cutie marks, and... what I think would really help us out tremendously: some kind of layout of the building."

"A layout?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Yeah, we need to know every inch of that building: where the emergency exits are, where the tellers are lined up, where security measures are located, and most importantly... where the vault is." Twilight turned to look at Rarity. "Have you been in the bank here by any chance?"

"Once," Rarity answered. "I had make a bit of an emergency withdrawal. But that was a while back, and I'm afraid I really have not even the vaguest memory of the place... aside from the fact that it's quite massive."

"Well then why don't we all just go over there and scope it out for ourselves," Dash suggested. "Where exactly is it?"

"Over on Bronco Ave." Rarity said. "It quite a walk from here to there, though."

"Well, um, if may please say something," Fluttershy spoke up.

"Certainly, Fluttershy, everypony's input is welcome here," Twilight said courteously.

"Well, I don't really think it would be very wise for all of us to go over there and just examine the surroundings without actually doing any business. It might arouse some suspicion... I think."

Twilight thought about that for a moment.

"That's a good a point, Fluttershy," she said after a while.

The pegasus managed a small look of pride at being able to help.

"Yeah," Pinkie Pie came in. "I mean, how obvious would it look for a bunch of mares to just be trotting around the bank eye-ballin' everything? They would totally know we were up to something."

"Right," Applejack added. "'Sides, Ah reckon there are areas of that bank that'r off limits ta customers. We wouldn't be able ta see it all."

"Exactly," Twilight said. "And we need to know every inch of that building. We need to know it better than the security ponies, the tellers, even bank president, himself. The first rule of warfare is know thy enemy, I imagine the same thing could apply to bank robbery."

"That's deep, Twi," Rainbow Dash remarked. "Did you make that up off the top of your head or something?"

"Nah, I read it somewhere. I couldn't come up with something that profound if my life depended on it," Twilight said with a small chuckle. "Anyway, like I said: I think our first task should be acquiring some kind of blueprint of the building. The question is where are we going to find one?"

"I would imagine the City Planning Department over on Celestia Blvd." Rarity said.

Dash scoffed.

"Celestia Blvd? You're telling me she has a street named after her?"

"Every city in Equestria has a street named after her," Twilight explained.

"Pfft, ego much?" Dash sneered.

"Well for the record, she didn't ask for it, everypony just kind of assumed it would please her. She tried to object to it, said it could get confusing if one pony was referring to a street in one city, but another pony thinks of a street in another. But they insisted, said it was only proper that every city in Equestria have some sort of representation of the sun goddess. She pretty much caved after that. She wasn't forcing it on us or anything, don't get the idea that she's that full of herself."

"Still defending her, huh, Twi?" Dash said bitterly.

"Okay, we're getting off topic here!" Twilight snapped. "Let's stick to the subject at hoof. Now, Rarity, you seem to know this city better than any of us, right?"

"I suppose," Rarity said.

"Well then, sounds like you just volunteered to go get those plans for us," Twilight said.

"What, you mean by myself?" Rarity sounded aghast. "Why just me? Why can't we all go?"

"'Cause it'll look too suspicious, dumbass," Rainbow Dash sneered.

"Really!" Rarity shrieked. "That name calling is hardly necessary... Rainbow Crash!"

"That's it," Dash grumbled as she stormed towards Rarity. "I'm gonna rip your damn mane off!"

Rarity, who had until this point tried to avoid using her magic on the crazed pegasus, hit her with a burst from her horn. Dash went flying backwards across the warehouse and skidded across the floor, luckily avoiding any crates or other objects. She looked dazed and shaken when she finally slid to a stop. When she looked up she saw the ivory unicorn standing above her, aiming her horn downwards. She had it fully charged and ready to fire again.

"You'll not lay a hoof on my mane!" Rarity screamed at the dizzy pegasus. "It's messy enough as it is!"

A loud series of cracking noises filled the building, causing both ponies to snap their attention to its direction. Twilight had fired a series of firecracker-like magic bursts from her horn. She looked more enraged than she had ever looked before.

"BOTH OF YOU OVER HERE, NOW!" She roared.

The two ponies shakily cantered over to the enraged unicorn. Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie Pie all looked deeply uncomfortable being in such close proximity to the ticking time bomb that was Twilight Sparkle.

"Fuckin' psycho," Dash murmured to Rarity.

The fashionista wasn't sure if Dash was referring to Twilight or herself. Ether would've made sense; when it came to defending her mane, Rarity could indeed be quite psychotic. They retook their positions in front of Twilight, who was glaring angrily at both of them. neither could meet her gaze.

"Do you guys want to do this or not?" Twilight yelled at them. "Because I'm starting to think that maybe you'd rather fight like little school fillies!"

"I certainly want to do this!" Rarity cried, sounding somewhat offended. She tilted her head towards Rainbow Dash. "Unlike _her_, I have somepony I care about and am doing this for!"

"I thought I made it clear that I was doing this for all those foals out there who look up to me!" Dash shouted at her. "Seriously, nopony is taking this more seriously than me! I'm just not gonna put up with any shit from 'miss prim 'n proper' over there!"

"I beg your pardon, dear, but it was you who insulted me first!" Rarity shot back at her. "You've been a thorn in my flank all morning, and I simply will not stand for it anymore!"

Another loud crack sounded off. The two mares were snapped back to the hardened glare of Twilight. The lavender unicorn was gritting her teeth and shaking violently.

"Both of you..." she began in a quiet yet rage filled and shaking voice, "will shut... the fuck... up... _now..._ or else..."

Rarity was definitely intimidated by Twilights words; she stepped back and looked away nervously. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, glared right back into the violet irises of the angry unicorn. She was never one to back down in the face of meaningless threats.

"Or else... _what," _Dash said through gritted teeth.

Twilight didn't hesitate for a second to respond.

"I'll do to you what I did to that fucker last night."

"Hey now, Ah thought weren't talkin' about that no more!" Applejack came in.

Twilight silenced the farm pony with a threatening glare before turning back to the two ponies in front of her.

Rarity wanted to interject that Twilight had only been able to rip that colt apart last night because she was aided by herself, but felt it would be unwise to provoke any more anger from the unicorn. For one brief second, though, Dash's eyes seemed to glaze over with fear. Twilight definitely got to her with that statement. The fear was only there for a fraction of a second though, instantly replaced by anger again

"You sick fuck..." Dash muttered quietly.

"I'm a sick fuck?" Twilight asked. "There's blood on your hooves too, Dash. On all of our hooves."

At that moment a quiet, high-pitched sobbing could be heard; it was instantly recognizable. The mares all looked to see sweet little Fluttershy burying her face into the wooden floor, her forehooves over her head as if she were shielding herself. Her shoulders jerked up and down with each sob.

"Oh, honey..." Rarity said, trotting towards the crying pegasus.

Twilight felt the anger melt away from her heart, replaced by sadness... and shame. Rainbow Dash showed the same feeling in her expression. She knew she had made it her personal goal to get Fluttershy to assert herself during this adventure, but this was something that had to be handled very delicately. Of all the ponies in this group, Fluttershy was the one who had to be the most affected by the events of last night. Being such a peaceful and gentle soul who literally wouldn't hurt a fly, Fluttershy had to be crushed by the fact that she had taken a life; it was a fact that she would probably never come to terms with. She had been so brave the past few days, not wanting to give up on the robbery no matter how ugly things got. But she needed the love and support of her friends now more than ever, she needed them to show that in spite of everything... they would continue to struggle through this together.

Everypony trotted up to her to offer their comfort. Applejack gently hushed and shushed her, Rarity and Pinkie Pie nuzzled their faces against her back and wings, Twilight took her foreleg and stroked it tenderly, and Rainbow Dash lowered her own head down to hers and nuzzled the top of her head, inhaling the sweet smell of her mane.

"I'm sorry, Shy," Dash whispered.

"I am too, dear," Rarity crooned.

"So am I," Twilight finished.

Fluttershy sobbed a few more times before managing to speak.

"I... I just don't want anymore fighting," she whimpered.

"You're right, Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie said. "We need to stop being so mean to each other; it's not what true friends do."

"We can't afford ta turn on each other now," Applejack came in. "We've still got one hay of a job ahead of us."

"Indeed we do," Rarity added. "Our petty squabbles must cease at once if we are to be successful at this endeavor."

"We're all friends here," Twilight said. "We just have to remember that fact and not give into anger anymore; it would be our ultimate undoing."

"Besides," Rainbow Dash started. "We wouldn't want Discord to sense all this rage and chaos between us and... I don't know... get a rock boner or something."

The room went silent for a moment. Fluttershy slowly looked up from her hooves. Soon the sound of light sniggering began to fill the air, which shortly gave way to hearty chuckling.

"That... that'd be kinda awkward, huh?" Pinkie said, barely able to contain her laughter.

"P-poor guy wouldn't be able ta do anythin' about it," Applejack snorted.

The chuckling grew louder, more pronounced.

"I-imagine anypony walking by his statue and noticing his... his... 'member' now protruding from it," Rarity snickered before bursting out into full-blown laughter.

"They... they'd be like... 'That wasn't there yesterday!" Fluttershy said, a bit meekly, yet full of comical joy.

And with that line, the Mane Six burst out roaring with laughter. They fell onto their backs and rolled around holding their sides, they pounded their hooves into the ground wildly, they wiped away the tears that rolled profusely down their cheeks, they held each other and buried their faces into each others necks in an effort to stifle their yowls. It was unbelievable how badly they needed this laughter. Anything that could lift their spirits, even if only for a short while, was more than welcome for them.

Ten minutes had passed before the laughter finally began to die down. Slowly the Mane Six rose to their hooves, still wiping the excess tears from their faces.

"So," Twilight began, still breathing heavily. "No... no more fighting, alright, girls?"

They all nodded heartily.

"What about friendly ribbing?" Pinkie asked. "Is that still okay?"

Twilight thought about it for a moment.

"As long as it doesn't get taken too far, alright?" She said.

"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie chirped.

The six mares settled themselves down in front of Twilight again. It was good to see them all smiling again.

"So where were we?" She began.

"I believe you had entrusted me with the task of obtaining the blueprints for the Bank of Equestria," Rarity said. "Though I have to admit I'm quite stumped as to how I am to do this. I've passed the City Planning Department from time to time during my visits here, but I've never been inside it. I wouldn't know what to say."

"Just tell them that you want to see the architectural plans for the Bank of Equestria," Rainbow Dash said.

"Is that... legal?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah," Dash replied. "There's nothing wrong with _looking _at the plans. They just don't want ponies reproducing them or taking photos."

"Um, there might be a problem there, Dash," Twilight said. "We definitely won't be able to steal them, they'd notice if they were missing. We're probably going to have take a photo of them some how. Did anypony bring a camera by any chance?"

"As it so happens, I did," Rarity said. "I was hoping to do some sight-seeing while we were here, but seeing as we're going to be so busy over the next few days... and seeing how this city has become quite bland to me with how many times I've been here, I was starting to consider it dead weight. Rather fortunate that I didn't toss it while we were on the road, eh?"

"I'll say," Twilight said with relief. "Maybe this won't be so hard after all."

'Well, hold on a minute now," Applejack came in. "Ain't security in those there civic buildin's pretty extreme? Ah reckon they'd have security ponies and cameras and maybe even one o' them fancy pants metal detectors."

"Ooooh, I like going through those things!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly. "Especially when they beep! It soooo fun when they do that when other ponies pass through them! Then they get hauled off and they act all confused! Ha ha! That's so funny! Except for one time when it happened to me. Mr. and Mrs. Cake wanted me to deliver a cake personally to Mayor Mare for her birthday, and I had forgotten that I was using a big butcher knife to chop up some hard candies that for the cake. I must've accidentally put it in the pack along with it because when I went through the buzzy thingy it was all BEPBEEPEPEPEPBEP, and then some ponies came and searched me and when they found the knife in the bag they tackled me to the ground and accused me of trying to assassinate the mayor! Can you imagine? Me? Assassinate the mayor? Hahahahahahahaha-"

Yeah, awesome story, Pinkie," Dash cut in. "So anyway, like I said: they don't want any of their plans being reproduced, which would mean-"

"Cameras are a no-no in that building," Twilight finished for her.

"Right, so what are we gonna do about security?" Dash asked.

"Well," Twilight thought for a moment. "I don't know for sure if there would be any surveillance cameras there; security ponies are a definite possibility; and as for metal detectors... would a camera be picked up by one of those?"

"Well, don't look at me," Rarity said. "I'm no expert in materials science. I thought you would know, dear Twilight."

"Well actually, I think I might be able to do something better. Get your camera, please," Twilight instructed.

Rarity's horn glowed and a rather old-fashioned camera came hovering our of her bag and over in front of her. Twilight concentrated on the camera and hit it with a light burst of magic from her horn. The camera appeared to be completely unscathed by whatever Twilight had done to it. Rarity stared at her in confusion.

"That should keep it shielded from any metal detectors you pass through. I suspect it'll last the whole day, but that's just a guess," Twilight said.

"What did you do?" Rarity asked.

"Believe me, Rare, if I tried to explain it... it would go way over your head. All I can say is that it's a spell that confuses electronic devices. I know quite a few of 'em, and belive me, it won't be the first one I cast during this whole crazy thing."

Rarity smiled at her unicorn friend.

"Goodness, Twilight Sparkle, is there anything you _can't _do with that horn of yours?" She asked with admiration.

"Oh, there's plenty," Twilight said. "I haven't even scratched the surface of magical ability yet. But we can talk more about that later. For now, here's what you need to do: go to the City Planning Department, tell them you want to see the blueprints for the Bank of Equestria. They shouldn't ask questions, but if for some weird reason they want to know why, just tell them you're studying architecture and that you're just looking for some references. That should be good enough for them. Now, if the plans are surrounded by security ponies or something, just try to think of a way to distract them. Maybe pull the fire alarm, get the whole building cleared out."

"Tell them you'll let them each have five minutes alone with you if they take a hike for a few minutes," Rainbow Dash suggested.

Rarity huffed in offense.

"Not helping, Dash," Twilight remarked. "But seriously, just use your head, Rarity. You're more clever than you think; just use your head and you'll do fine."

"But what if there _are _in fact, security cameras?" Rarity asked. "How would I deal with them?"

Twilight sighed.

"Just improvise, Rarity," she said. "Maybe take a picture of the area and place the photo in front of the camera or something."

"That won't work, my camera's not a Polaroid," Rarity said grimly. "I'll have to get this to a one-hour photo shop once I've finished at the Planning Department. Perhaps I should have the images enlarged as well?"

"Sounds good," Twilight said. "And listen: if you get there and everything just seems too overwhelming, then... maybe you should just come back here and tell us what you saw. I guess we can try to think of something else."

Rarity considered this for a moment. She truly was starting to feel like quite the heroine of this group. It seemed to her like she was doing much more than the others. But in the end, it was her love for her sister and her willingness to give her a happy foalhood that finally urged her to take up this task.

"Very well then, I shall do my best not to disappoint you," she said as proudly as she could muster.

Twilight smiled gratefully at her; Applejack gave her a friendly tip of her stetson; Fluttershy managed a meek smile; Rainbow Dash gave her a good luck nod.

"You can do it, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

"And what of the rest of you?" Rarity asked the group.

"Well, one of us needs to go out and find some disguises for us," Twilight said. "Maybe just some ski-masks or something, and perhaps some black tape to cover our cutie marks."

"Ah'll do it," Applejack offered instantly.

"You sure, AJ?" Twilight asked with concern. "You went and got breakfast for us."

"Yeah, Ah don' mind," Applejack replied. 'Ah'm a farm pony. It does me a world of good ta keep on movin' outdoors. 'Sides, Ah know a place here that might suit our needs jus' dandily. It was here when Ah was a young 'un, Ah reckon it's still in b'ness."

"Alright then, if you're sure," Twilight said, still sounding a bit concerned.

"So, does this mean the rest of us just get to kick it 'till they get back?" Dash asked hopefully.

"'Fraid not, Dashie," Twilight said. "We need to get this place cleaned up. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't feel like planning a bank heist while being surrounded by piles of blood, vomit and urine."

Twilight gestured at the all the dried blood and entrails that encrusted the warehouse floors and walls. Dash grimaced noticeably, and Fluttershy just frowned a bit. Pinkie pie remained disturbingly jovial, though, like this was no big deal to her.

Rarity smirked a bit to herself. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that she was picked for this task after all.

"Well, I suppose I'd best be off," she announced after a while. "The sooner we get those plans, the better."

"Ah'll be off too, Ah s'pose," Applejack added.

The two made for the door when Fluttershy's meek voice sounded behind them.

"Good luck, you two."

The two ponies turned around and smiled at the sweet young pegasus.

"Thank you, dear. That means a lot coming from you," Rarity said sincerely.

"Chin up, hon, alright?" Applejack said kindly.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled back. She had such a heart melting smile.

Rarity and Applejack waved one last time to the others and headed out the door. They walked with each other towards the now bustling street, not saying a word to each other until they got to the sidewalk at the end of the dock.

"Take care, sugarcube," Applejack said as she headed to the right.

"You too, dear," Rarity replied as she trotted to the left.

She was scared, there was no denying it. She had never expected this much to be asked of her. But she had to do it; Sweetie Belles adorable face pushed her forwards. She tosses her once beautiful indigo mane as she trotted down the street. It had gotten bushy and unkept in the past few days, and it was really starting to bother her. She decided that while she was waiting for the film to develop (if she got that far) she could swing by the nearest shop and pick up a bottle of conditioner. She smiled a bit at that thought; at least now she had something to look forward to.

* * *

_**Well that was an interesting chapter to write. Once again it took me a little longer than I thought it would, but no worries, it got done, that's all that matters. Keep reviewing guys! Your kind words are making me dance like a happy prospector! Thanks for reading! Next chapter coming soon!**_


	10. A Little Architectural Espionage

_**Just one thing I want to say before the chapter starts: This chapter is pretty much going to be a total ripoff of a mission from GTA San Andreas. Even the title of it is pretty much the same as the title of the mission. Maybe some of you will recognize it and have a good laugh or something. I figured since I'm already incorporating various elements from other heist movies and games into this story, I might as well go all out for this chapter and just rip- uh... I mean... pay loving homage to a great game! Just thought I'd mention it before other readers get a chance to. Alright, let's roll this thing...**_

* * *

**Chapter Ten:**

**A Little Architectural Espionage **

Rarity took several deep breaths before nervously stepping through the revolving door into the Manehatten City Planning Department. It was a rather plain building: tan colored marble floors and pillars, a few sparsely places padded chairs, a drinking fountain against one of the walls, and a reception desk at the far end. It wasn't particularly crowded today, a few ponies occupied the chairs off to the side, reading magazines, resting their eyes and whatnot.

Just ahead of the revolving door was a tall, rectangular arch; the metal detector. Next to it stood a tall, well-built security stallion with a hardened, intimidating face. Rarity nervously approached him, stopping just before passing through the arch.

"Please remove any metal items from your bag and place them on the conveyor belt," the stallion said in a deep baritone voice. He gestured to a thin black rolling belt next to the metal detector.

"I... assure you, I have none," Rarity said, trying to hide her fear.

The stallion gave her a scrutinizing look, then nodded her through.

_'Please let that spell work,' _Rarity thought to herself as she nervously stepped forward.

No alarm sounded, no loud beeping went off, no security ponies were storming the area; it had worked. Rarity let out a huge sigh of relief; that was one obstacle out of the way now. She felt some of the metaphorical weight lift off her shoulders.

"Have a nice day, miss," came the stallions voice from behind her.

Rarity didn't even turn back, she just continued on her way to the front desk. She kinda regretted at least not turning around and giving the stallion a friendly nod or something. Not so much because it was rude, but because she didn't want to arouse any suspicion or make it look like she was in a hurry. She had to act calm and natural, be polite to any ponies that offer her a friendly "good afternoon" and such; just act natural, give the others no reason to believe she was up to something.

Her hoofsteps clacked noisily on the hard marble floor, causing a few nearby ponies to look up at her with annoyance. Rarity, ignoring what she had told herself a moment ago, shot each of them nasty looks.

_I can't help it, you imbeciles, _she told them mentally.

When Rarity arrived at the front desk she was immediately greeted by a blonde maned white mare with a big hearty smile on her face.

"Help you, ma'am?" She asked courteously.

"Uh, good afternoon," Rarity greeted with a forced smile. "I'd like to see the architectural plans for the Bank of Equestria please."

"Okay ma'am," The blonde mare said cheerfully. "First I just need to ask you if you're aware that reproduction of such plans is prohibited by Equestrian law?"

"Yes, of course," Rarity replied. "I'm... merely looking for some references. I am a student of architecture and I'm currently working on a project."

Oh is that so?" The mare said, still beaming away. "Are you at the University of Manehatten?"

"Y-yes," Rarity answered hesitantly, cursing herself for her poor acting. Luckily though, the blonde mare seemed won over by this.

"I've always wanted to go there to study law, but I'm unable to afford tuition at this time. I'm only doing this receptionist job to make ends meet for now. How is it up there? i heard it's a beautiful campus."

"It's wonderful, just wonderful," Rarity answered quickly. "If you don't mind, ma'am, I'd really like to just see the plans now. I have a deadline, after all."

"Oh, of course, I apoligize," the receptionist said. "You'll find the plans on the top floor. Just go straight ahead to the last room on the left at the end of the hallway. You may take the stairs behind you."

The receptionist pointed at a metal door behind Rarity. The fashion unicorn smiled and nodded at the blonde mare.

"Thank you very much," She said politely.

"You have a wonderful day, ma'am," the receptionist said with a warm smile.

Rarity trotted over to the door and pushed her way through it. She found herself in a grey brick, dimly lit cement stairwell. It hardly matched the elegance of the room behind her, in fact it was downright grim, almost like a dungeon. Slowly the unicorn began to ascend the steps, talking to herself calmly as she went.

"Alright, take it easy, Rarity dear," she muttered. "You're doing well so far. You've gotten this far now, you can't afford to falter; your friends are counting on you... your sister's counting on you..."

Six levels up Rarity was starting to get tired. The building honestly hadn't looked that big from the outside, but man, was she feeling the burn now.

"At least I'm keeping in good shape," Rarity said to herself breathlessly. "Perhaps I should consider entering one of those Iron Pony competitions when this is all over..." She laughed that idea off. though. There wasn't a pony alive who get her into a mud pit.

After a few minutes more of climbing and stopping to catch her breath, Rarity reached the twelfth and final floor. Panting heavily, she attempted to regain her composure before stepping through the metal door into the hallway. She hoped with all her might that the coast would be clear on the other side of that door, that cameras and security ponies would be non-existent. It seemed unlikely, but who knew? Maybe they were on a coffee break or something... It was long shot, but she figured she was due for some good luck right about that time considering the events of the past few days.

When she felt ready, the elegant unicorn turned agent of espionage pushed her way through the door. She found herself in a thin hallway lined with see-through glass doors on either side. It split off to the left and right where she stood, but she remembered that straight ahead is where she was meant to go. Rarity slowly made her way down the hall, looking through each door to see what was on the other side. Every room seemed to have the same layout: a wooden table in the middle with chairs encircling it, an occasional pony or two going over some documents, a series of filing cabinets against the walls, and a few plants for decoration. Nowhere, however, did she see any signs of surveillance cameras. They would most likely be located up in the corners of the rooms, aimed at the filing cabinets. But Rarity saw nothing of that sort in any of the rooms she passed. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she continued onward. It was starting to look very much probable that she would get what she wanted without much hassle.

Then she got to her destination: the last door on the left... and her heart sank. Two very imposing security ponies stood firmly on both sides of the door, looking very much like Celestia's elite guard. How she hadn't noticed them earlier, she couldn't quite say. Too distracted by the other rooms, she supposed. A sign on the glass window next to the door showed the image of a camera with a slash through it. The words **No Photography **were printed just below it. But as she stepped up closer to it, she saw something even worse waiting for her on the inside. In the top corner of the room, aimed directly at another series of filing cabinets was a small, white surveillance camera, a slight buzzing noise emanating from it. It was fully operational, just waiting for anypony stupid enough to try and break the law.

Rarity gritted her teeth in frustration. She supposed it was stupid of her to get her hopes up like that. These ponies weren't stupid; there was no way they'd be careless with something as important as the layouts to a financial institution. She had just wanted so badly for things to work out for her just this once, just this one time. But it seemed that luck was still not on her side; it may very well have left her for good.

One of the security ponies caught Rarity's eye. He stared intently at her, like he did to any ponies who came up to that room. It was his job after all. He seemed to loosen up a bit at the sight of her. Rarity managed to give him a small smile.

"Hello," she greeted in a sing-song voice.

"Ma'am," the guard replied with a nod, his voice deep and intimidating. "May I help you with something?"

"Oh... no, dear, that's quite alright," Rarity said. It was at that point that something Rainbow Dash had said earlier came to her head. Rarity cringed, she had honestly hoped Rainbow Dash had been kidding, but now it looked as though what she had suggested was her current best option. Putting on a seductive look, the fashion unicorn slid up closer to the buff stallion. "Say, what's a handsome young stud-muffin like yourself doing working such a dull, drab job?"

"Ma'am?" The guard asked, remaining as stationary as ever.

"Why, I assume it gets awful lonely up here having only each other for company," Rarity said seductively, glancing at the other guard, who could've honestly passed for a statue. "Lonely... and boring. I'll bet it's quite some time since someponies showed either of you a good time." She leaned in close to each of them, giving them both a tender nuzzle. "What do you say we make ourselves comfortable in the room back there, maybe turn that annoying little camera the other way, and I'll give you both a little... entertainment. In exchange all I ask is a few minutes alone with some rather important files in one of those cabinets."

Both guards seemed to falter a bit under Rarity's charms, or at least that's what she had hoped. But...

"I'm married, miss," The guard said firmly. "Got a wife and three foals. He's married too..." he gave a nod towards his partner.

Rarity felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. Her white cheeks flushed red and her eye twitched a bit. She had never acted like that big of a slut before, and the fact that it was all for nothing made the whole situation even more bitter. She felt so unclean.

"So... there's no chance that you'd..." Rarity said hopefully.

"Not a chance, I love my wife," the guard said resolutely.

"Same here," the other said, his voice almost exactly the same. "Besides, our top priority is keeping the contents of this room secure. We won't abandon our posts for anything."

Rarity sighed sadly. The one time she _wanted_ to meet a pony that didn't have a conscience, and she was disappointed. Fuckin' shitty luck.

"W-well then," she said a bit shakily. "I suppose I'll have to take my business elsewhere."

"I think that would be a good idea, ma'am," the stallion said. "You have a nice day."

Rarity turned back and headed towards the stairs again, moving significantly faster this time. She pushed her way through the door, and once it closed behind her she let out a loud, yet muffled shriek of rage into her foreleg. What the hay was she supposed to do now? She really didn't want to have to walk all the way back to warehouse and tell her friends that it just wasn't possible. She had to figure something else out, something a little more... creative. But what? She wasn't exactly an expert in architectural espionage; who the hay was?

She paced back and forth, muttering to herself on what she could possibly do next. Then, another idea that one of her friends had mentioned earlier came to her head: pulling the fire alarm. That would empty out the building for sure; evacuations during an alarm were mandatory. She could hide out in a broom closet or something while the building cleared and then snap the photos; it would only take a couple minutes. But wait... what about the camera? Most likely there wouldn't be anypony watching if the building was being evacuated, but didn't they go over the footage at the end of the day or something? They'd identify her easily; she was a very distinctive looking mare, after all. She could turn the camera the other way, she supposed, but what it the camera couldn't be turned? What if it was bolted in a way that it was stuck facing a certain direction and couldn't be altered? And even if she could turn it, they would probably know something was up when they came back in. Those two security guards would remember what she'd said about turning the camera the other way, and they'd definitely remember her face. The more she thought of it, the more she began to believe that this whole thing just wasn't going to happen.

As she continued to pace, an odd clanking and humming noise caused her ears to prick up. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the cement wall that separated her from what she assumed to be another room. It sounded like an old air-con unit or something, one that was probably on it's last legs. Rarity shrugged it off at first, reminding herself to stay focused on what was important. But then, she had another crazy idea, this one topping all the others she'd had so far. If that was indeed an old air-con unit that was clanking and clattering away, then there was a good chance that it was unstable, and that maybe the use of a little blunt force... or perhaps a well placed burst of magic...

"There would actually be a reason for pulling the fire alarm," she whispered to herself.

No, this was truly insane. Rarity couldn't even begin to imagine doing something so reckless. This was a federal building with hundred of ponies inside it, ponies with husbands, wives and foals. Was it worth it to put their lives in danger for her own personal gain? She already had enough blood on her hooves for one lifetime, did she really need more? But the more she thought about it, the more she began to assume that maybe this could be done properly. If she was careful enough, if she could keep it from getting out of control...

Turning back to the metal door, she pushed it open slightly and peeked outside. Far up ahead the two security guards remained stationary at their posts. Rarity turned to the left, towards the direction of the clanking.

"If I'm fast enough..." she whispered quietly.

She took a few quick breaths, then in one swift motion she slid through the door and took cover behind the wall across from her. The door softly and quietly clicked closed behind her, much to her relief. She edged her way to the corner and peeked around it. Neither guard had budged even an inch, they hadn't even appeared to have looked, not even turned their heads the slightest bit. Rarity breathed a huge sigh of relief. Thank Celestia those guards had terrible peripheral vision. She had to wonder why they were hired in the first place if they had trouble seeing out of the corners of their eyes. Probably it was because of how intimidating they looked and sounded... or maybe it could've just been that Rarity was really good at sneaking around, and she had just been so fast that the guards didn't see her. The fashionista smiled a bit to herself at that thought; she was no useless damsel in distress.

Pulling away from the corner, Rarity followed the source fo the noise. It was only three doors down on the left side of the hall that the low rumbling and clanking seemed to be emanating from. She tried the knob, and much to her surprise the door opened easily. She would've assumed that a lot of the doors around this building were locked considering all the sensitive information they most likely contained.

On the other side of the door Rarity found herself in what appeared to be and old, dimly lit storage room of some kind. Several rows of shelves lined the area, each one with old dusty boxes and containers scattered along them. They looked as though they hadn't been opened for quite some time. Perhaps this was where all the old, obsolete documents were sent, and maybe that was why the door to this room was unlocked; they wouldn't exactly adamant about protecting this stuff if it was no longer useable.

Rarity quietly let the door close behind her and began moving through the room. She followed the source of the noise until, sure enough, she found a heavily dilapidated old, grey air con unit in the far corner of the room, moaning and sputtering like a dying old mare, cold air emanating from it's vents. Rarity shook her head in disgust at the sight of it; this thing was a fire hazard just waiting to happen. Even if she didn't intervene right there and then, it would probably still end up going at some point. Still, the young unicorn had reservations about doing this. As she stared tentatively at the ancient device, she thought once more of all the ponies that occupied this building. They security guards, the workers, the nice young receptionist downstairs (yeah, she was kinda annoying, but at least she was polite, which couldn't be said about most of the others Rarity had met on this journey). Was it really worth putting all their lives at risk for her own personal gain?

"No, not for _my _personal gain," Rarity whispered to herself. "I am doing this for my sister."

The more she thought about it, the more it started to sink in that maybe, just maybe, if she was extremely careful, as long as it didn't get too out of control...

"They train for this kind of thing, do they not?" Rarity muttered. "I just need the building cleared out; that should be only a matter of minutes. They'd all be out of here before it could get too ugly... and perhaps... maybe if got smokey enough in here... enough to maybe obscure the surveillance cameras..." her eyes began to grow wide. "This just might work..."

By now the only real issue she was having with this whole plan was that the stench of smoke was extremely hard to get out of ones mane. But then again, she was planning on buying some conditioner after this whole thing, so maybe it would all work out well enough in the end... as long as nopony died, that was still her biggest concern. Killing those vile punks last night was one thing, but descent hard-working ponyfolk... that was something entirely different; none of the ponies in this building deserved to die.

With a sigh, Rarity aimed her horn at the clattering contraption in front of her. While her magic was nowhere near the level of Twilights, she could still offer a nasty jolt if she were so inclined (as poor Rainbow Dash had found out earlier that day). She contemplated what she was about to do in her head for a few seconds more. It was insane, that was a fact, but... fuckin' A, she so badly wanted to pull this off, she didn't want to have to go back empty hoofed.

"I must be out of my mind..." she sighed, then charged up a quick spell with her horn. When she reached her peak, she unloaded a bright burst of white magic into the sputtering unit.

A dull clank sounded from within. She had clearly hit something important, but was it enough? The sudden low rumble of flames mixed with the black, heavy smoke pouring through the vents told that it was, indeed... enough.

"Well, now you've gone and done it, darling," the unicorn muttered to herself.

Turning tail, she cantered towards the door and silently stepped through it. She levitated one of the dusty old boxed from one of the shelves over to her and placed it between the door and the frame to keep it open. She needed the smoke to spread as far as it could.

Now she needed to find some place to take cover, to hide out and wait for the floor to empty before she could make her move on those blueprints. Luckily for her, just across the hall was a room labeled: **Supply Room. **And as if that wasn't enough of a break, the door was cracked open a bit. Either the frame was busted, or the janitor here was a careless oaf. Either way, she thanked her lucky stars that things were finally looking up for her.

She pushed open the door and found herself in a dank, dirty old room with mops, brooms and shelves lined with cleansers, their pungent aroma filling the air. Rarity ignored it and shut the door slightly behind her, making sure to keep it open just a crack. She peeked through it into the hallway, paying particular attention to the room across from her.

"Come on now, where's that fire alarm," she whispered. "Please don't let it be broken or something. Please please please, Celestia, let it work."

A few minutes passed before a jet-black plume of smoke seeped through the crack in the door leading to the document depository, spreading out across the hallway. It wouldn't be long before other ponies would start to notice this. But the alarm still wasn't sounding, and Rarity was starting to get frustrated again.

"Where is that cursed alarm?" Rarity hissed under breath. "Why is it every time things start to go my way-"

BRRRRRRRLLLLIIIIIIIIIG!

A loud continuous bell blared throughout the hallway.

'What they hay?" A high-pitched yet definitely male loud voice sounded from off in the distance.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Sounded another high and whiney voice.

"It's that damn AC unit, isn't it?"

"I knew that fucking thing was gonna go at some point!"

"That's it, Everypony out! This is not a drill!"

Rarity wore an expression of bewilderment on her face. We're those the two security guards who were shouting? Because they sounded nothing at all like they had when she was talking to them earlier. They sounded like nerdy little colts now. Maybe they were just acting earlier. Maybe they were trying to impress her with though guy voices or something. But wait, no... that couldn't have been it; she had practically given herself to them, allowed them to have five minutes to do what they wanted with her, and they refused. Was it because of how unattractive she looked at that time? Well she couldn't help that! She had been through a lot the past few days and... she shook her head. She was getting a little sidetracked.

"Focus on what's happening in front of you, dear," she said to herself.

It wasn't long before the pattering of hooves sounded off just up the hall. Rarity watched as huddled masses of ponies from all directions began to flood the area, all coughing and attempting to duck under the thick cloud of smoke above them. They attempted enter the stairwell in an orderly fashion, but found themselves pushing and shoving when the smoke became too much. The two security ponies attempted to keep order, trying to use their deeper voices again, but to no avail; there was simply too much panic, and their voices constantly kept slipping back to whiney.

Eventually though, the last of the ponies (with the exception of security) shoved their way into the stairs. The security guards took one last look up and down the halls to make sure it was clear. Rarity pulled back inside the supply room to ensure that she wasn't seen.

"Alright, that's everypony," She heard one of the whiney guards say. "Now let's get out of here, the smoke's making my eye's sting!"

Rarity poked her head out again and watched as the two guards cantered into the stairwell. Now was her chance...

She pushed through the door and ducked under the smoke. Moving quickly while crouching slightly, she turned the corner and headed up the hall. The smoke was good and thick above her, and it had traveled pretty much all the way to the end of the hall, filling each of the rooms as it went. There was no way that surveillance camera would be able to see her through this. Rarity couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride at her brilliance, and it definitely appeared that nopony was going to be harmed. Thing were starting to look up for her once again.

She slipped into her target room and immediately checked the the corner containing the camera. It was completely hidden by a torrent of swirling black smoke. Unless it was an infrared camera, which was highly doubtful, it wouldn't be able to see a thing. Smirking a bit, Rarity moved over to the filing cabinets and pulled everyone of them open with her magic. She shuffled through the file folders one by one, looking for 'Bank of Equestria.'

"B... B... B..." Rarity muttered to herself. She coughed a bit as she accidentally inhaled a bit of smoke. "Where is it? I must hurry! B... B... I can't- wait a minute..." she pulled one file out. On the tab was written: **Equestria, Bank of. **"Aha!" She cried.

Rarity pulled open the file, three pieces of blue paper with white etchings on them fell out onto the floor. She set them so they were all facing up and looked over them carefully. She assumed each sheet represented a different level of the bank. She knew there was a ground level and a level above that held offices and such (it was a very large bank), but she wasn't sure of what the third one was for. Perhaps a basement of some kind? Maybe that was where the vault was located... but Rarity didn't have time to think about that now. She needed to snap those photos and get the hay out of there as fast as she could. She magiked up her camera and focused it on one of the sheets. When the image was clear, she snapped the photo. She repeated the process on the other two and sighed with relief when she was finished. Now she could get out of there.

Rarity placed the blueprints back in their proper folder and placed it back in it's drawer. She closed everything up, making it look as though nothing had been tampered with. She placed her camera back in her bag then exited the room and quickly made her way down the hall towards the stairs.

"I did it!" She exclaimed with a smile on her face. "I honestly did it! I knew I could She paused, staring in horror at what was ahead of her.

The path to the stairwell had been completely blocked off by flames. The fire had spread much quicker than she had anticipated. Now she was trapped on this floor, the intense heat from the flames filling the hallway. A loud crash sounded off in the distance, causing the floor vibrate under her hooves. It felt as though the ground was about to give way. Rarity shuddered at the thought of any ponies down below her. She prayed that they had all gotten out safely. But wait... what about _her?_ She was the one who was trapped up here! To Tartarus the other ponies! She was about to be burned to death, or possible suffocated by smoke! Not exactly how she had planned on going out... nor was it how she _intended _to...

The flames edged their way along the hall towards the terrified unicorn. She had to find another way out and fast. She turned away from the rapidly expanding fire and ran back up the hall. As she reached the end of it, she noticed that there was a clear glass window exposing the outside world to her. She looked through it and saw that the roof of the building next to her was slightly lower than the window, and not too far away.

"Maybe..." she said to herself. "If I got enough of a running start..." her eyes suddenly went wide with the realization of what she was implying. "Oh, but this is lunacy! Who am I, Sylvester Stallione? I couldn't possibly another loud crash sounded behind her, and her mind was made up. "Oh... shoot!" She hissed.

The unicorn sent another burst of magic from her horn, shattering the window into a million pieces. She then took a few steps back and breathed in deep. Before she could have any second thoughts, she charged forwards. Right before hitting the wall, she leapt into the air and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt a hard burst of cool air hit her, followed shortly by the hard, unforgiving smack of pavement. It hurt, but not nearly as badly as she had thought, and at least now she knew she had made it. she skidded across the rough surface of the roof a ways before coming to a stop.

Shaking badly, Rarity slowly opened her eyes and rose to her hooves. She took a moment to gage her surroundings. She had made it! She had definitely made it! She began to laugh, laugh hysterically. She turned to look back at the burning building behind her. Black smoke billowed out of the broken window she had leapt through.

"I-In your face!" She screamed at it. It was crazy, yelling at a building, but she didn't care, she was just happy to be alive.

Off in the distance the wail of sirens sounded. They grew louder and louder, signifying their approach. Rarity knew she had to get out of that area and fast, but there was no way off the current rooftop she was on. No fire escape, no roof access door... nothing.

"What the hay kind of building is this?" Rarity moaned.

But it was at that moment that she noticed the other building next to her. It was significantly taller, and it had a pair of steel pipes running down the end of it, most likely attatched to rain gutters up above. There was a bit of a bigger gap between the buildings, but once again she told herself that if she got enough of a running start...

By this point, Rarity was done with being afraid; she just wanted to get back to her friends... and scream them silly for making her do this. With another deep breath, she took a few steps back, then charged towards the pipe. With a leap of faith that would put Ezio Auditore to shame, she flung herself from the ledge. Rarity fell at least two stories before she was finally close enough to wrap all her legs around the steel pipes. She slid several more stories down, screaming the whole way and holding on for dear life. It was when her tender rump came into hard contact with the ground that she abruptly went silent. Her flank twinging with pain, she slowly let go of the pipe and rose to her hooves. She did a quick body check and saw that she was missing no limbs and had no massive, gaping wounds anywhere. Best of all, she still had her bag with her, and the camera was still inside it.

Slowly she stepped out of the alleyway and into the bustling sidewalk. The attention of all the ponies around her was drawn to the towering inferno that was the Manehatten Planning Department. Several large red fire trucks sped up the street, their sirens blaring loudly. Nopony even bothered noticed the ivory unicorn slowly making her way up the sidewalk. Her steps were shakey, her eye's were twitching wildly, her mane was frazzeled beyond recognition, and her teeth were chattering non-stop. She looked certifiably insane.

It was a short walk to the nearest Twenty-Four Hour Photo store. In as calm a voice as she could muster, Rarity requested 24"x24" sized copies and then went to go sit down on a bench just outside the store. She didn't feel like moving an inch from that spot. The conditioner could wait, she was dead tired. She sat there in silence, contemplating what she had just done, hoping with all her might that nopony had been hurt. Sirens continued to blare in the distance. Looking up, she could see a thick plume of smoke rising up over the tops of the sky-scrapers.

She never ever wanted to do anything like that again... ever. Yet at the same time... she couldn't wait to one day tell Sweetie Belle about what a bad-ass her sister was. It would have to be far, far, far from the present, but a day would come when her sister would know just how much had been sacrificed for the sake of her well-being, and that a burning building and the risk of falling to a gruesome death amounted to nothing compared to Rarity's love for her. That day would come, she knew it would.

* * *

_**I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. I would've had it up sooner but some personal issues slowed me down a bit. Nothing too serious, but I had to take some time off. That and I'm working on a little one-shot involving Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo (something significantly more light-hearted than this story) and I hope to have that one up soon. **_

_**I may come back and add more to this chapter in time. I dunno, I kinda feel like I rushed it a bit. Still, I hope it was enjoyable to see Rarity perform a little bad-assery (seriously, she could be a total bad-ass if she wanted to be... at least in my opinion). Once again, thank you for your patience and reviews! Don't worry, I won't abandon this story, I'm having too much fun writing it! Thanks for reading!**_


	11. Stage Two: Weapons and Ammo

**Chapter Eleven:**

**Stage Two: Weapons and Ammo**

Twilight dipped her head under the sink nozzle, letting the cool water run through her mane and down the sides of her body. She watched as all the blood and filth that had accumulated in her mane from the days work mixed in with the dirty water and swirled down the drain. Whit a sigh she lifted her head out of the sink and shook it until her mane was all dried up. She then gave herself a quick glance in the cracked and grimy mirror above the sink. She barely recognized herself; her mane was unkempt and tangled, her eyes were heavy and bloodshot, and her violet color seemed muted and dull, as if Discord had once again corrupted her. Unable to see herself like this for too long, the unicorn quickly turned away and trotted out of the bathroom.

Her friends were all spread out around the factory floor, resting and relaxing, They were all seriously worn out, it had been one hay of an experience getting this place cleaned up. Applejack, who had come back about a half hour ago was the only one who was on all fours. She had come in carrying a black saddle bag next her flank. Its contents included six sets of black ski masks and a couple rolls of black tape. Pinkie Pie was already digging through them excitedly. She pulled one of ski masks over her head and gazed around the room with exuberance.

"Hey, look at me, I'm Mare Do Well again!" She cried happily.

Rainbow Dash, who had been lying on her back and staring blankly at the ceiling, face-hoofed hard.

"Please, Pinkie, don't open up that wound again," she moaned.

"Aw, are you still embarrassed about that, Dashie?" Pinkie asked.

"What did I just say?" Dash snapped. "Drop the fucking Mare Do Well thing already!"

"Dash, take it easy, will you?" Twilight pleaded. "And Pinkie, please stop teasing Rainbow Dash."

"Sorry, Twilight," Pinkie said, smiling widely through the mask. "I'm just really enjoying myself. I mean, this whole thing is coming together so well, it's kinda exciting!"

"Yeah, yeah, we know, sugarcube, this is all a big party to ya," Applejack said a little irritably. "Not sure if these here masks'll be enough, but it was the best Ah could do."

"You did fine, Applejack," Twilight assured her. "As long as they can't see our faces or cutie marks they won't be able to identify us easily. Rarity and I will probably need to cut an extra hole for our horns, but that shouldn't be too difficult."

"I hope she's okay..." Fluttershy said in a hushed voice. "She's been gone for a while now."

"Fifty bits says she's sitting in a corner somewhere, crouching in the fetal position and crying like a foal," Dash muttered.

Twilight sighed with annoyance.

"Dash, have a little faith, will you?" She chided.

"Sorry," Dash murmered. "It's just... are you sure she was the best pony for this job? I could've taken care of it in a matter of minutes, even with my wing hurting me like it is."

"She's known Manehatten better than any of us," Twilight said. "Besides, I'd hate to think of what _you_ would've ended up doing to get those plans. At least Rarity wouldn't resort to burning down the building or something."

An awkward silence followed. Dash took slight offense to that statement; she was no barbarian, no crazed pyromaniac who would would torch an entire building full of ponies just for some blueprints, even if it was for something as important as this robbery. She was sure Rarity was the same way, but still... there were things Dash felt she could've done that Rarity couldn't. Not wanting to start another scuffle, though, Dash decided to change the subject. Turning her head, she saw the empty, crumpled up McDerpy's bag lying inconspicuously off in the far corner of the warehouse.

"Can you guys honestly believe what happened to Derpy?" She said quickly.

Though they were a little taken aback by this sudden change of subject, the others managed to smile and chuckle a bit.

"Was that something else or what?" Twilight said.

"I'm happy for her," Fluttershy squeaked. "At least she's having a good go."

"Mmm," was all Applejack could say. The farm pony couldn't deny that she had always felt a slight tinge of bitterness over Derpy's sudden billionaire status, especially considering she had achieved it by introducing Equestria to some of the most unhealthy food imaginable. Even the lettus in the veggie burgers were coated with some sort of oily substance to enhance flavor. Applejack and her family had worked their flanks off for years trying to bring their good, healthy, farm fresh foods into the world, and yet they continued to struggle to make ends meet. Applejack kept those thoughts to herself, though, at the risk of sounding like a hypocrite. After all, she kind of enjoyed that junk food too. Not as much as her apples, but still... those hay fries were unbelievable.

"Wait a sec," Pinkie Pie said suddenly. "Dashie, you were pretty close with Derpy, weren't you? You were friends, right?"

Dash thought about that for a moment.

"Yeeeeeaaaah, kinda," she answered after a while. "We'd chill out after work sometimes, kick back, have a few beers, talk shit about our bosses, usual friend stuff. Though I don't think I was ever a close with her as I am with you guys."

"Well, do you think that maybe if we asked her, she'd help us?" Pinkie suggested.

Everypony in the room except for Rainbow Dash seemed to suddenly come to life.

"That's a good idea, Pinkie," Twilight said, surprised that Pinkie of all ponies had been smart enough to think of that. "Dash, maybe you could send her a letter or something explaining our situation. I'm sure she'd be willing to help us, she was always such a nice mare."

Applejack seemed to be the one most ecstatic about this new development.

"Are... are ya'll sayin' we may not hafta go through with this?" She could barely contain her excitement.

"If Derpy's generous enough," Twilight replied.

"But, um, how long would it take?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, Angel doesn't have much time left, and he-_

"Uh, guys?" Dash interrupted. "There's a bit of a problem with what you're suggesting: I haven't been able to get a hold of Derpy for months, and believe me, I've tried, I miss her."

Slowly the others began to deflate.

"Wh-what do you mean you haven't been able to get a hold of her?" Twilight asked.

"I mean she's either been too busy for me or she's been ignoring me." Dash answered. "Personally I think it's the latter."

"Why would she ignore you?" Fluttershy came in.

"I dunno," Dash shrugged. "But every time I've tried to get a hold of her I kept getting the same damn story; she's at a business meeting, she's having lunch with the mayor, she's playing horseshoes with Celestia, just the same crap every time."

"Well, I imagine it's a lot of work running a successful fast-food chain," Twilight tried to reason with Dash.

"Ah screw that," Dash muttered bitterly. "As far as I'm concerned, she's just another victim of a little thing called greed. Once she had made, she decided she didn't need me or anypony else... at least that's what I believe."

Ya sure ya ain't just bein' bitter that she caught a break an' you didn't?" Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash gave the farmer a scathing look.

"I'm not like that!" She spat. "I was happy for her! She deserved the break she got! But... did she have to go and shut us out of her life? "Cause I'll tell you now, if it had been me... I'd have never sever ties with the ones I care about. Hay, I'd probably have invited you all to live in my mansion with me."

"Well, that's really touching, Dash, but to be honest, I'm a little too disappointed right now. I... I was honestly hoping we had something else going for us here."

Dash sighed sadly and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, guys, I really am. But if Derpy and I were still tight, I would've thought of asking her for help long before we left."

"It's fine, Dash," Twilight sighed. "We're just really gonna have to go through with this heist, it's the only way."

Sad gazes from her friends met Twilights eyes, but there was also a hint of understanding in them. Now they knew that every possible option had been exhausted, and that there was simply no other alternative.

"Ah still can't believe we're actually doing this," Applejack whispered.

"You know something, AJ, I kinda feel the same way," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, I know I was the first one on board for this thing, but... sometimes I still have trouble accepting it; we're robbing a bank. They say fillies that come broken families tend to end up living living these kinds of lives, but... dammit, I tried so hard not to... I tried so hard not to be like my father, but now... here I am."

"You're father was a crook?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

"He might as well have been," Dash replied. "Always borrowing money from loan sharks and whatnot so he could fuel his habits. Came back to bite him the flank though, didn't it? Fuckin' bastard."

"What happened to him, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked.

A sigh was her only answer. Truth be told, the untimely death of Dash's father was something she never liked bringing up. Not because she was sad about it or anything, it was just that... it was something she shouldn't have had to have seen, especially considering how young she was when it happened. What she had told her friends that night on the road was all she was going to say about it.

Dash prayed for something, anything to change the subject, and much to her luck her prayers were answered by the sudden sound of the warehouse door bursting open. The five mares all snapped their attention towards it to see a very distraught, very enraged looking Rarity. Hovering above her was a large golden folder containing what they assumed were the hard earned blueprints. Rarity stepped into the building, limping slightly, her eye twitching violently. The expression on her face would've been hilarious had the situation not been so serious. As the door shut behind her, the sounds of sirens could still be heard in the distance. Slowly, the fashionista approached her friends, letting the gold folder drop to the floor in front of her. The others stared blankly at her, not sure of what to make of this; they had never seen Rarity look this terrible before. It was Applejack who finally worked up the courage to approach her and say something.

"So, uh... how'd it go?" She asked with a weak smile. Her answer was a sharp forehoof right upside her face. "OW! What the hay, Rare?"

"DO... NOT... ASK!" Rarity roared at her. "I GOT... THE DAMN... BLUEPRINTS! DON'T... ASK... HOW!"

* * *

A few minutes were allowed for Rarity to calm herself down before they started going over things. As much as her friends wanted to know what had happened at the City Planning Department, the look on Rarity's face, combined with the fact that she had just slapped Applejack upside the head (the farm pony was still rubbing her sore mouth) told them that it was best to wait until later... or maybe just not ever ask. Maybe this was something better off remaining unknown.

Twilight had just pulled the blueprints out of their folder and had set them out on the hard wooden floor. She separated all three of them and set them in order from what she assumed was the upper most lever to the lower most. She then glanced over them carefully, taking in every little detail. She wanted to have a good idea of the buildings layout before she started talking with her friends.

"Rarity, this is fantastic," Twilight said with genuine pride. "The images couldn't be more clear! We owe you big time for this, girl!"

"Oh ho ho, you have _no _idea how right you are, dear!" Rarity said angrily.

"Alright, simmer down, hon, we're all grateful to ya," Applejack said.

Rarity scoffed and turned away, muttering quietly under her breath. These stupid little foals had no idea what she had just been through. She was lucky to have made it back at all.

Once Twilight felt ready to start explaining things, she gathered her friends up and had them circle themselves around the layouts.

"Alright then," she began. "What these layouts, who were so generously provided for us by our good friend Rarity, to whom we are deeply indebted to seem to show-"

"*cough* kiss-ass *cough*" Dash muttered.

"Shut it," Twilight snapped at her. "Anyway, it appears that the building is made up of three levels. I'm guessing this bottom level here is underground, and I'm pretty sure that this is the safe right here," she pointed out on the blueprint.

'Makes sense," Applejack said.

"Now, the first thing we need to take care of when we get in that building is getting the crowd under control," Twilight explained. "This includes the tellers and all the ponies on the upper level. We'll need to move fast with this also, we can't allow them to have any time to make any sudden movements or try to get away."

"Fluttershy and I can take care of the upper level," Dash chimed in. "I'm guessing these are mostly offices up there, maybe that's where the bank president is as well. Shouldn't be anything we can't handle, right Fluttershy?"

"I... guess," the pegasus mused.

Dash sighed and shook her head.

"Little more enthusiasm, Shy," she encouraged.

"I, um, guess it's nothing we can't handle," Fluttershy said a little louder.

Dash sighed again.

"Well, that was a little better, but we still gotta work on your assertiveness if we're gonna do this right."

"My assertiveness?" Shy asked weakly. "But what if I let it go too far again? I don't want to be a bully like I was last time."

"Rainbow Dash is right, Fluttershy," Twilight said. "In order for this to work, we need to make those ponies believe that we're stone cold psychos. We need to scare them to the point that they won't even want to cough at the risk of getting a hoof across the face, and that's where the next stage comes in; we need weapons and ammo."

Twilight was met with a series of nervous glances.

"Are you quite sure that's necessary, dear?" Rarity asked. "I mean, you and I are quite skilled with magic, or at least you are. Couldn't we just maintain order with a couple of threatening spells or something?"

Twilight shook her head.

"I'm not quite powerful enough to handle a room full of ponies with just magic," she said. "Besides, part of keeping control involves using intimidation, and I can assure you there are few things more intimidating than having a semi-automatic weapon pointing right at your face."

"I... suppose that makes sense," Rarity said, though she still didn't sound too sure.

"Right then," Twilight continued. "First off I need to know if anypony here as had any experience with a firearm of any kind. Please speak up now."

Applejack, after a moment of silence, gave a small cough.

"Well, uh, Big Macntosh used ta have this old bolt-action rifle that he used fer clearin' little critters outta our crop-"

"Oh no," Fluttershy covered her face.

"Aw shoot, Fluttershy, we don't use it no more," Applejack said. "An' besides, we weren't actually shootin' 'em, we were jus' scarin' 'em off. But anyway, Ah fired it once 'r twice."

"Do you remember how it worked?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, it weren't too tricky," AJ replied. "Hardest part was tryin' ta stay balanced on mah hindlegs. Years of apple-buckin' have really helped me build up strong hind-quarters, though, so Ah suppose ah could handle mahself fine with a weapon."

"Okay," Twilight said with a nod. "Anypony else ever handled any type of firearm?"

Rainbow Dash shuffled a bit.

"Well, back when I was in flight school, Gilda and I used to go shoot her BB gun at pop cans and stuff. I was pretty good with it too," she said with a chuckle. "Sometimes we'd ditch school and just go down to the Everfree forest, pretend we were in some kind of action movie... just try to get away from our crappy lives for a little while." She started to sound a little out of it there, and her friends stared at her oddly for it. Dash noticed this after a short while. "Oh, sorry, I just kinda lost myself there for a moment. What were we talkin' about again?"

Twilight sighed.

"Okay, two of us have handle guns before. Anypony else?" She continued.

Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie shook their heads.

"Honestly, darling, do I look like the kind of pony who would've spent her time strutting about, toting an instrument of destruction?" Rarity asked indignantly.

"Just had to make sure," Twilight said irritably. "Anyway, two of have handled weapons before, I guess that's something."

"Yeah, but I don't think it's gonna be enough," Pinkie Pie chimed in. "I mean, BB guns and rifles aren't really the best types of pow pow's for holding up banks."

"Ya know, she's right," Applejack said. "Ah reckon we're gonna need some purty heavy firepower if we're gonna pull this off."

"Right, the question is where are we going to find the kind of artillery that will meet our needs?" Twilight said.

"I asssume there must be some form of establishment out there that can provide for us in that category," Rarity said hopefully.

"Heh heh, like Ammunation or something," Rainbow Dash said jokingly, thinking of one of her favorite video games.

The others gave her a brief look of confusion before deciding to just shrug it off and continue with the matter at hoof.

"Well, if yer referrin' to gun shops, Ah saw a fair few of 'em while Ah was out today," Applejack interjected.

"A fair few, huh?" Twilight said.

"Aw yeah, ya wouldn't believe how common they are in big cities. Appleoosa had its fair share too, Ah remember, though they were a might more primitive than the ones Ah saw here, and... aw shoot, ah'm ramblin'. Anyway, Ah'm sure we'll find what we're lookin' for somewhere 'round this here city."

"Okay, we'll come back to that issue in a little while," Twilight said. "Another thing we need to focus on is how we're going to get the crowd under control. I think it's safe to assume that it's going to be fairly crowded in there."

"I think it'd be a good idea to separate bank employees from from customers," Dash suggested. "That way we know who's who in case we need somepony to help us out with something that only staff would be able to."

"Waddya mean help us?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Ya know, with like... accessing restricted areas and stuff," Dash explained. "I'm pretty sure some of these areas, particularily where the vault is located are locked off by key-codes or swipe-cards or something."

Fluttershy cleared her throat and raised her hoof, causing Twilight to roll her eyes.

"Shy, if you want to say something, just say it," she said. "Especially if it's something about what we can expect in terms of security."

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy hung her head in shame.

Dash rolled her eyes and put a foreleg around her fellow pegasus.

"Assertiveness, Fluttershy, assertiveness!" she said while shaking her a bit.

"Okay, well... um, in the bank my father worked at the vault was sealed of by this door that required two ponies to open it.," Fluttershy explained.

"Two ponies, how would that work?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, I don't really know the specifics of it, and I'm not good at explaining things, but from what I heard my father once say; the door to the vault could only be opened by two ponies who had these... special keys or something that had to be used at the same time to unlock it. At least I think that's what he meant," she sighed sadly. "I wish I could remember and be more helpful."

Twilight would've consoled her, but she was too busy thinking about what the pegasus had just said.

"I think I know what you're talking about, Shy," she said after a while. "I've read about those. Usually the bank president along with another trusted employee has possession of those keys. They have to be turned at exactly the same time to get the door open."

"Do ya really think that's what can expect at the bank here?" Applejack asked. "What bank did he work in exactly?"

"Cloudsdales," Fluttershy answered.

"That bank is a total craphole though," Dash remarked. "If they really had something that high-tech, then I think it's pretty safe to assume that Manehattens branch will have something like that, or maybe something worse."

"Fluttershy, what other security measures can you tell us about?" Twilight asked the pegasus. "We know they'll have cameras -we'll have to think of a way to deal with those later- but what else?"

"Well... there's the silent alarm..." Fluttershy said quietly.

"The silent alarm? That sounds silly!" Pinkie said with a giggle. "How can an alarm be silent? That kinda defeats the purpose of an alarm, doesn't it? Aren't they supposed to be all like BLEEEERG BLEEEEERG BLEE- "

"Let her explain, Pinkie," Rarity cut her off, attempting to sound calm.

Pinkie did a zipper like motion over her mouth. Fluttershy cleared her throat and attempted to explain.

"Silent alarms are these little buttons that the tellers have under their desks. If anything goes wrong, all they have to do is push it. They don't make any noise, but they somehow alert the police that somethings wrong, and then they come."

The others stared at the yellow pegasus, eyes wide and jaws slightly agape.

"Well... thaaaaat's definitely gonna be a bit of a problem..." Dash said.

"No kiddin'," Applejack said angrily. "How the hay are we s'posed to prevent something like that? They could hit the button an' we wouldn't know a damned thing about it."

"Well, what's the average response time for police?" Rarity asked.

"I'd say about four minutes, maybe less if a patrol happens to be wandering by," Twilight guessed.

"And how long should this whole thing take us?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

"Well..." Twilight thought for a moment. "Considering the fact that we have to get the crowd under control, get through that one door, break open the vault, load up as many bits as we can, and then get out of the area before things get ugly... I'd say fifteen to twenty minutes tops."

"Dammit!" Dash cursed. "If that silent alarm gets tripped, we'd barely have the crowd under control before the cops show."

"Then we need to think of a way to keep the tellers from getting a chance to press it before we do anything to crazy," Twilight explained.

"What can we do though?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I'm fast and all, but I don't think I could get an entire row of ponies away from those buttons quick enough. Chances are one of them would be able to press it before I could get to them."

Silence filled the room again. This was definitely gonna be one of the harder obstacles to overcome. In a matter of seconds their whole operation could go down the tubes, and they wouldn't even be aware of it until it the sirens sounded from outside, and then it would be too late. Minutes passed before a certain shy young pegasus had something of a crazy idea, and when she spoke up her soft squeaky voice was enough send chills down the spines of those around her.

"We could cut the power..."

Everypony stared at her for a moment, taking in her suggestion. It was admittedly a bit of a shock that she had been the one to vocalize this idea, especially for Twilight. She had thought that Pinkie Pie would blurt out some crazy nonsensical thing involving her party canon or something. Instead, she got a very sound and manageable idea from Fluttershy.

"That actually might be a good idea," she finally said. "It would take care of both silent alarms _and _security cameras."

Slowly the others began to brighten up a bit. Rainbow Dash appeared to be genuinely surprised by her fellow pegasus' intellect. She patted her on the back and gave her a reassuring nod. Fluttershy blushed and looked away, a small smile cracking across her face.

"How would we go about cutting the power though?" Rarity asked.

"We hit the generator," Dash answered. "It should be up on roof, I'm guessing."

"Sounds about right," Applejack said. "How'r we gonna git up there though?"

"Fluttershy or I could take care of it," Dash offered. "I don't exactly know how I could get into it, but-"

"Well, actually, Dash," Twilight interrupted. "I know a spell or two that can temporarily disable electronics. I was studying up on it not too long before this whole mess happened. I think I could pull something off."

"Well, wait a second," Rarity interjected. "Why temporarily disable it? Would it not be easier to just destroy it?"

Twilight stared at her fellow unicorn wide-eyed with shock.

"Destroy it? Do you realize how dangerous that is, Rarity?" She said scathingly. "The thing could blow up and send me flying off the roof! What kind of pony would be stupid enough to blast an electrical unit with some kind of destruction spell?"

The ivory unicorn quickly averted her gaze. She did all she could to keep her cheeks from flushing anymore than they already were.

"Alright, you can temporarily disable the power," Dash came in. "How long is temporary?"

Twilight thought for a moment.

"Conservatively speaking, maybe about a half-hour," she said, sounding rather unsure.

Rainbow Dash seemed to lighten up a bit at hearing this.

"Okay, and we we're guessing it shouldn't take longer than twenty minutes for us to get out of there, so this whole thing is starting to sound pretty sweet. We'll be long gone by the time the power comes back for them," Dash smiled triumphantly.

"Wait a minute," Rarity said suddenly. "If we cut the power won't that affect the dual locks for that door we were talking about earlier? Those are electronic, are they not?"

The sense of disappointment in the room was almost palpable. Rarity seemed to have a good point, though she didn't sound entirely sure. Perhaps Fluttershy would know for sure. Twilight didn't even need to say anything, the look she gave the shy young pegasus said enough.

"I... don't really know for sure. I don't understand electronics," she said, hanging her head.

Twilight sighed again and took some time to think. She was admittedly getting a little sick of all these set-backs. Every time they thought they had something good going for them, some small technicality would come along and spoil everything. As much as she wanted to scream at Fluttershy for not being more helpful, she was able to remind herself that it wasn't the little sweethearts fault. Her parents ignored her, after all. It was amazing that Fluttershy knew as much as she did. She was being very helpful, and Twilight wanted to be sure to thank her for it at some point. But for now she had to focus on the current prerogative.

"Well..." she said slowly after a long moment of thought. "I _might_ be able to get the door down with a blast or two from my horn."

In an instant everypony seemed to brighten up again. How could they have forgotten Twilights skill with magic? Even though she sounded a bit unsure about being able to get the door down, they believed she could do it. Her ability with magic was unmatched by all others (except perhaps Celestia and Luna).

"Sounds like we got a plan then," Applejack said in a tone of finality. "Rainbow Dash can fly Twilight up to the roof-"

"Assuming my wing feels better," the pegasus interrupted.

"And..." Applejack continued, glaring scathingly at Dash for butting in. "While Twilight's takin' care of the generator, Ah guess we'll just wait until the power goes out, then make ourselves known to the general public an' jus' go ta town on 'em."

"Here's what I think would be a good idea..." Twilight said. "Go in one at a time, wait about a minute or two before the next goes in. That way it doesn't look like we're together, and we avoid arousing suspicion."

"Should we go in wearing our masks?" Fluttershy asked in her usual hushed voice.

"No, wait until the power goes out before you put them on," Twilight said. "The crowd will be too confused by the sudden outage to notice you guys pulling your masks on. We'll cover our cutie marks before we go in, though. I don't think anypony will pay too much attention those parts of our bodies when we go in."

"Unless their checking us out," Rainbow Dash muttered under her breath. Nopony heard her, though.

"So we go in, wait for the power to go out, wave our weapons around a bit, maybe fire a round or two to show that we're serious, just try to scare the crap out of everypony in there, you know. Make them believe we'll kill them if they try anything."

"Oh no," Fluttershy whimpered, hiding her face behind her pink mane. "I thought we weren't going to have to kill again."

""We're not killing anypony, silly," Pinkie answered before Twilight had a chance to say anything. "We just want them to _think _that we will, right, girls?"

"Exactly," Twilight said. "As long as they think we're serious about being murderous, they won't try anything stupid."

Fluttershy continued to frown, her head hung even lower.

"That still sounds awful, though," she murmured. "Making innocent ponies think that they're about to die. I can't imagine what that would feel like."

Rainbow Dash sighed with annoyance. Her fellow pegasus was really starting to get on her nerves. It was time to try something a little more harsh to push her into assertiveness.

"Shy, do you want to save your stupid rabbit or not?" She hissed.

Fluttershy immediately looked up. She was still frowning, but now her eyes were narrowed and her lips were pouted. She looked close to tears... angry tears.

"Don't call him stupid," she said quitely yet threateningly.

"Well unless you mare up and mare up soon, he's pretty much fucked, isn't he?" Dash shot at her.

"No," Fluttershy said, her voice rising. "I won't let him die. I'll... I'll... I'll do whatever we have to do. I'll... mare up."

It was quiet for a while after that tense exchange. As badly as the others wanted to butt in and quell it, they also wanted to see where it was going to go. It was true, Fluttershy needed to toughen up if they were gonna pull this off. It was a little brutal of Dash to target her rabbit like that, but it worked, and in the end that was all that mattered, thought Fluttershy's angry expression sure was taking a while to fade.

"So then," Twilight attempted to keep things going. "We get the crowd under control... that shouldn't take more than three or four minutes; we blast our way through that one door, that shouldn't take me too long; then we get down to the vault... how do we get it open?"

"I imagine it requires a combination of some kind..." Rarity said. "Or possibly a key."

"Ah'd place my money on a combination," Applejack stated. "Ah don't think they'd risk havin' a key be the only way inta the vault. Could get stolen 'r lost purty easily."

"Yeah, I agree, we'll assume it's a combination," Twilight said. "So... how do we figure it out?"

"Simple, the bank president oughta know it," Dash said. "We just grab him, threaten him with some violence, and he'll open it for us. This might just be a total cakewalk."

Twilight smiled a bit. That was a pretty sound plan, and it was definitely looking like they could be out of there in within the fifteen to twenty minute time frame they had given themselves.

But then came the squeaky voice of the shy young animal lover with yet another piece of bad news...

"Um, I don't mean to bring you all down, but... it might be a little more complicated than that..."

Fluttershy received a torrent of annoyed and scathing looks from the others.

"What... what could possibly be more complicated about this?" Dash cried angrily. "Is there a laser grid we have to worry about? Or maybe there's a dragon guarding it? Or wait, maybe there's a vault within the vault? A little vaultception goin' on here? Is that what we're dealing with? Or maybe-"

"Will you kindly let her explain?" Rarity snapped at the pegasus.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and sighed, but went silent all the same.

"Well, you see," Fluttershy began. "I remember my father once mentioned something about how no one employee knowing the entire combination at the bank he worked at. What they did was give one part of the combination to one employee, and whenever they needed to open it they had to down one at a time and put their part of the combination in. I guess it was done that way in case an employee... lost it or something and decided to steal from the bank."

"You gotta be kidding me," Dash moaned angrily.

"Wooooow," Pinkie Pie said in an awed tone. "That's pretty smart of them."

"More like ridiculous," Dash spat. "Are you sure they'd do something that extreme for a bank? 'Cause it sounds like that's something they'd do in Canterlot for Celestia's... porno stash or something. It just seems a little excessive for a bank. Are you sure you heard your father right, Shy?"

Fluttershy looked down again, seemingly deep in thought.

"Positive," she said resolutely after a moment.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and groaned with annoyance.

"Well this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" She moaned. "How are we supposed to get in there now?"

"It sounds quite simple to me," Rarity said calmly. "We'll weed out whoever had a piece of the combination and take them down one at a time to put it in."

"No, Rarity, you don't understand," Fluttershy said a little forcefully. "They work different shifts. None if them would be there at the same time. Whenever they need the vault open they call them at home their homes and have them come in one at a time."

Dash face-hoofed.

"Un-fuckin-believeable!"

"Well you did expect any less, Dash? They're not stupid," Twilight said.

"So... we make them call up the others and have them come in?" Pinkie Pie suggested.

"That'll take too long. We need to be out of there in no longer than twenty minutes, remember?" Twilight explained. She took a few more seconds to think before coming to another ridiculous idea. "I think we're just going to have to get in there by force somehow."

"Ah reckon ya have spell 'r two ta take care o' that, Twi?" Applejack asked.

"Are you kidding?" Twilight said a little rudely. "We talking about a two-ton wall of steel, possibly more. There's not a spell I know that could put even a dent in that thing. Celestia, herself probably couldn't even get through one of those things. We'll have to think of something else."

"How 'bout one o' them big-ass power drills?" Applejack suggested.

"That'll still take too long," Twilight said with a sigh. "Besides, those things are huge. You really want to have to haul one of those things around the whole day? You're strong, AJ, but not _that _strong."

"Well then use your magic to levitate one or something," Rainbow Dash said impatiently.

"I'll be too busy levitating my weapon to focus of the drill," Twilight shot back at the cyan pegasus. "It's going to take a lot of concentration to figure out how to handle my weapon of choice, so much so that I won't be able to use my magic for anything else."

Now there was a huge collective sigh given by all six ponies in the room. For the millionth time that day, another long silence was taken to think of what to do next. Though Twilight had to admit; for the first time since the journey began, she felt like giving up and going home. They were so clearly in over their heads. How could six formerly peaceful ponies with no criminal history even begin to believe that they could pull off something as crazy as this? They should've known it was going to be as difficult as it-

"C4," Dash suddenly said, garnering strange looks from her friends, except for Twilight, who know exactly what she was talking about.

"C4? The plastic explosive?" She said in a tone of shock.

Rainbow Dash stared at the lavender unicorn wide-eyed.

"You know what C4 is?" She cried in disbelief.

"I've read about it, yes," Twilight explained. "And I think I remember Zecora once mentioned something about the materials that are used to create it."

Dash's jaw dropped even further, if that was at all possible.

"Zecora had C4 with her?" She cried.

"What? No!" Twilight snapped. "She didn't _own _any C4, she just knew how to make it. C4's illegal, Dash."

"That doesn't mean it's impossible to find..." Dash said in an almost sinister whisper.

Twilight stared at her tentatively, trying to decide if the spunky pegasus was either brilliant for suggesting this... or insane.

"Well, what do you about this... C4, Twilight?" Rarity inquired.

"Well, it's a plastic explosive, a member of a variety called Composition C," the unicorn stated. "It's a lot like modeling clay in that it can be molded into any shape; it can be fit into little cracks, gaps, voids and such, it's very durable. It's also relatively stable; most physical shock isn't enough to detonate it. I imagine the Equestrian military had made good use of it in various conflicts and such."

"Sounds like you really do know a thing or two about your explosives, Twi," Rainbow Dash said proudly.

"Yeah, well," Twilight blushed a bit. "Some of it was pretty interesting, I have to admit... but that's beside the point. As I said earlier, C4 is illegal for civilians to own. It's for military use only. No legitimate weapons shop carries it."

"And like I said earlier: that doesn't mean it's impossible to find..." Dash said quietly.

"What'r ya gettin' at, Dash?" Applejack asked nervously.

Rainbow Dash motioned for the others to come in closer. The five other ponies leaned in towards the cyan pegasus, all anxious to hear what she had to say.

"Well," Dash said in a hushed voice. "If we can't find it in a legitimate weapons store, then maybe we oughta try somewhere a little more... illegitimate."

That was all Twilight needed to hear in order for her to reel back in shock. She placed a hoof over mouth and gasped loudly.

"Rainbow Dash, you're not talking about the Black Market, are you?" She cried.

Now all of them had reeled back, gasping loudly, except for Rainbow Dash, who gave Twilight a small smirk.

"I see you've heard of it," she said quietly.

"Yes I have," Twilight replied. "And I also know enough about it that I don't want to get involved! Those ponies are brutal, sick and evil! They're among the worst cut-throats in Equestria! They... they'd eat ponies like us for breakfast!"

"Wrong, Twilight," Dash interjected. "All they care about is making a profit. They don't care who buys from them, as long as our bits are good, they'll get us what we want."

"Yeah, but... we don't have a lot of bits, remember?" Pinkie said suddenly.

"Aw shoot, that's absolutely right. Ah plum fergot," Applejack face-hoofed. "How'r we gonna afford the kind of fire-power we're lookin' fer?"

Rainbow Dash gave a sinister smile and leaned in towards her.

"Who says we have to pay for this stuff," she cooed.

Once again the young pegasus received a collection of wide-eyed looks.

"Dash, you are really starting to scare me," Twilight said shakily. "What are you suggesting we do... rob the Black Market? We're taking enough chances as it is robbing a bank! We'd never get away with ripping off one of the most dangerous organizations in Equestria!"

"So what? You just want to give up now?" Dash yelled at her. "Just go home and tell Spike that things just aren't gonna work out for you guys ever again and spend the rest of your lives living under a bridge?"

"No!" Twilight yelled back. "I'm just trying to think rationally here! If we go around holding up illegitimate weapons stores, we might as well change our cutie marks to what those punks last night had! We-"

"I think we should do it," Fluttershy squeaked.

"Same here," Pinkie Pie added.

Twilight just gaped at the two.

"A-ARE YOU BOTH INSANE?" She shrieked.

"Twi, calm down," Applejack said soothingly. "Maybe Rainbow Dash had a point here."

"YOU TOO?" Twilight was practically twitching with fury now.

"Darling, nothing else is going to work for us," Rarity interjected. "I And after what we went through last night, and..." she added the next part in a soft whisper. "after what I did earlier today," she straightened up again. "I think we can handle these so-called 'most dangerous cut-throats in Equestria.'"

Twilight shook her head in disbelief. She just couldn't understand this sudden surge of recklessness from her normally sound friends.

"You guys have all lost it," she said in an eerily calm voice. "You've all gotten a small taste of the criminal lifestyle and now you want more. You're losing yourselves, that's what's going on here."

"Now that ain't true, sugarcube," Applejack said sternly. "We're exhaustin' ev'ry possible option here, an' right now this Black Market thing is startin' to sound pretty solid."

"Think about it, Twilight," Rainbow Dash came in. "Enough C4 properly positioned around the vault door should be enough to jar it loose. And on top of that, think of all the other illegal arms they're bound to have. We could find firearms there that we wouldn't find in typical gunshops. We'd really be a force to reckon with if we came in with like... sawn-off shotguns and AR-15s."

"AR-15s are legal, Dash," Applejack pointed out.

"Not full-auto ones," Dash replied. "The ones they have legit stores are only semi-auto or three round burst or something. You'd have to like... personally modify them on your own to make them full-auto. Or... at least I _think _they can be modified to full-auto... or are those M16s?" She sighed. "Whatever, I'm getting off topic. The point is, I think we could find some pretty useful stuff if we look in the right place."

"Also," Pinkie stepped up. "They oughta have a pretty hefty amount of bits in a place like that. Maybe we could snag some while we're there! Get a head start, ya know?"

"Good idea, Pinkie!" Dash slapped the pink party pony on the back. She turned back to Twilight. "Don't you see how beneficial this can be for us? We're no pushovers, we've handled worse than them. C'mon."

"Twilight," Fluttershy mused. "I think you should stick with your friends. You're the most powerful unicorn I know. If you're with us, I really think we can do it."

"We can do anything if we stick together," Rarity added. "We've demonstrated that many times before."

"Twi, have a little courage, will ya?" Applejack said with a warm smile. "Yer friends are with ya."

"That's right," Pinkie Pie came in at last. "Please, Twilight. Nothing can stop the Elements of Disharmony!"

Twilight had long since turned her head to the floor, but she had heard everything they had said, and they were admittedly winning her over. Part of it was because she knew she couldn't let them do this without her. They were fully intent on attempting this, nothing she could say was going to change that now, and she had to be there to protect them no matter what. Twilight was the kind of pony who would push a friend out of the path of a speeding cart and get hit herself if she had to. She couldn't let her dear beloved friends do this without her. And also, they had some good points. Most likely they could find what they were looking for, along with some extra bits to help them along. She hadn't changed her mind about crazy this whole thing was... but it was really starting to look like there was no other option. Looking back up, she met the intent gazes of her fellow Elements.

"We'll take a look and see what they have," she uttered in a tired voice. "And if that place is filled with psychos and killers, and we appear to be in way over our heads, we're out of there; no questions or complaints. Is that understood?"

They all nodded, Dash and Pinkie smiling gleefully.

"Alright then," Twilight continued. "Now our only question is: where are we supposed to find a place like that? I don't think they exactly advertise themselves on the front of their building."

"Well," Dash said thoughtfully. "If there's one thing I've learned from Grand Theft Carriage, it's that these illegal weapons dealers can usually be found in back allys and out of the way places and such."

"Oh, well that really narrows it down, doesn't it?" Rarity said sarcastically. "There must be thousands of back alleys in this accursed city! How are we supposed to find-"

"Ahem," Pinkie interrupted, her chest puffed out proudly. "I think it's time for my good ol' Pinkie Sense to do it's job!"

"Can your Pinkie Sense really work that way?" Fluttershy asked in a light tone of amazement.

"Oh, you betcha!" Pinkie announced grandly. "It once helped me find Gummy when he went missing! And it helped me find lil' Pound Cake when he crawled off during a picnic! If I really want to find something really really _really _badly, it'll work. And I really really really _really _want to help the Cakes, so... yeah, it should work!"

"Sweet," Dash muttered quietly. She was genuinely impressed by her pink friends ability.

"So that settles then," Applejack announced. "We're goin' toe ta toe with one o' the most dangerous organizations in Equestria. Ah guess Ah shoulda known what Ah was signin' up for when Ah agreed to this."

"BALLS TO THE WALLS, MOTHERFUCKERS!" Rainbow Dash roared suddenly, slamming her hooves into the ground, garnering surprised looks from her friends. "Sorry," she muttered sheepishly. "Just getting myself pumped up."

Twilight had just then slipped off to be alone for a minute. She sat facing a far corner of the warehouse, contemplating what they were about to do. As Applejack had put it: they were about to go up against one of the most dangerous organizations in Equestria. Even Celestia seemed hesitant to deal with them directly, though it didn't seem to be due to fear. It seemed much more like she wanted to find the right way of doing it, or maybe even _she, _the ruler of all Equestria, had trouble pin-pointing their exact locations.

Whatever the case, the young lavender unicorn felt almost close to vomiting with how afraid she was. Even with her friends by her side, there was no telling how ugly tonight was going to be. It seemed likely that more murder was just around the corner...

* * *

_**Well, that sure took me a while. I apologize for the wait. Truth is I just kind of slacked off this week. I kinda needed a break, ya know? Writing too much too often can really take a lot out of me. Still, it shouldn't have taken me this long, and I'm truly sorry for it. I'll try not to slack off too much anymore. Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading! More soon!**_


	12. Armed to the Teeth

**Chapter Twelve:**

**Armed to the Teeth **

"Twithcha twitch! Twitchy twitchy twitch!" Pinkie Pie jerked and contorted her body in every position imaginable.

"Pinkie, are you quite sure this time?" Rarity asked the pink ball of craziness. "I honestly don't think I can walk another mile and a half around this dreadful metropolis!"

"Oh, I'm very sure this time!" Pinkie shouted jubilantly. "I can sense enough boom booms and pow pows to take down a small country behind that door right there!"

The six tired young mares were standing in the middle of a darkened alleyway filled with trash and debris. They were facing a rather plain wooden door on the side of what looked like some kind of abandoned old apartment building. The sky above them had turned a dark purplish-blue, Celestia was in the process of setting the sun. They had been trotting around Manehatten for nearly two hours now, following Pinkie Pie and her unexplainable Pinkie Sense wherever she led them. It felt like they had been through just about back ally in the city. Pinkies Sense hadn't exactly been as reliable as they had hoped it would be, as it led them to find nothing more than a few illegal fireworks shops. The mares just assumed that maybe Pinkies Sense was confusing fireworks for fire _arms. _Patience was wearing thin for the group now, particularly for Rarity, considering what she had been through that day.

"Pinkie Pie, you had better not be screwing around with us!" Rainbow Dash said nastily to the pink party pony. "I swear I'm five seconds away from punching some random pedestrian right in the face!"

Pinkie Pie huffed, as though she were offended.

"I wouldn't screw around in a situation like this, Dashie!" She said with a slight sneer. "Even _I _know when the proper time to be silly is, and this isn't one of those times!"

"Pfft, sure," Dash dead-panned.

Turning back to the unassuming looking door, the ponies pondered actually going in for a few minutes more.

"Are you guys absolutely sure you want to do this?" Twilight asked, as though she were hoping for "No" to be the answer. "I mean... we could always just try a legit arms dealer or..." she tapered off there, knowing full well that option was out of the question; they really needed that C4.

"What's gotchya so worried, Twi?" Applejack asked with genuine concern.

"It's just... we don't know what to expect with these ponies," Twillight explained. "They... they could be..." she paused, her eyes narrowing. "How do you think they'll react to seeing six mares walking into their territory? What do you think they'll do to us?"

"Nothing," Dash answered quickly. "I've already explained this, Twilight: all they care about is making a profit. They're not gonna do anything stupid with us if they think we're loaded with bits..." she thought for a moment. "But ya know... we're gonna have to deal with them somehow since we're pretty much gonna be robbing this place. So if they do, for some reason decide to make the fist move, we'll just tear 'em to shreds like we do to those punks last night. This'll be a breeze!"

Twilight gave an exasperated sigh.

"Are you really so desperate to commit more murder, Dash?" She asked the pegasus in a flat tone. "As taking the life of another pony really become that meaningless to you?"

Dash looked deeply offended.

"Nooooooo," she said slowly. "I'm not some kind of sick minded serial killer. It's just... you said so yourself: these ponies are scum! We'd be doing Equestria a favor by taking care of them! We're like vigilantes or something, like the Punisher or Batmare... except Batmare never kills anypony."

Twilight took a moment to think on that. It was true; the colts they had slaughtered the night before were among the lowest of the low in Equestria, and chances were the ponies that possible occupied the other side of the door they were facing were probably no better. Maybe cleaning up a little more of these vermin would do this land some good. Besides, there was always the possibility that they didn't have to _kill _any of the ponies in there. Maybe a hard enough blow to the head would render them unconscious, and maybe when they woke up they'd have no memory of what happened...

"Um, Twilight?" Fluttershy's soft voice broke the unicorns train of thought. "I really think we should go in there now."

"I agree," Rarity added. "There is simply no way that I will be returning to that warehouse empty-hoofed after what I've been through today." A siren sounded of in the distance, making the fashionista shudder noticeably.

"Fine," Twilight snapped. "We'll take a quick look at what they have. But like I said earlier: if we go in there and it we get the feeling like we're out-matched, we're out of there, no ifs ands or buts, understand?"

Everypony nodded, and at that moment Pinkie Pie burst forward and forced the door open. They were half expecting it to hear another "Oh phooey" come from within the building, as they had heard so many times since they had set out on their search. This time they heard nothing, at least not right away. They exchanged nervous glances, fearing for the safety of their friend. Hopefully she hadn't been knocked unconscious by some crazed maniac on the other side, or fallen into some hole in the floor, or-

"OH MY GOSH! YOU GUYS GOTTA SEE THIS!" An excited squeal came from inside the building.

All their fears were wiped from them, replaced with a strange sense of excitement as the five ponies blindly charged into the building. It was dark and musty inside the narrow hallway they found themselves in. At the end of it they could make out the faint silhouette of Pinkie Pie. She looked almost like a cardboard cutout with how still she was. The others slowly approached, wondering just what could've caused the normally ecstatic earth pony to go so quiet and still. And when they got to her, they saw that the expression on her face was just pure, utter amazement on a level they had never even thought _she'd _be possible. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates and her mouth was hanging slack-jawed, the corners of it pointing slightly upwards in a sort of smile. When they saw what she was looking at, their expressions pretty much matched hers...

They were staring at a room in which the walls were lined with every type of firearm and explosive imaginable: AKs, M16s, AR15s, UZIs, SMGs, Twelve gauges, Sawn-Offs, Pump-Actions, Sniper rifles... everything. On a few tables set around the room were explosives of all kinds: dynamite, a box of grenades, blocks of C4, even a few bottles of the dangerously unstable nitroglycerin. But what really got their attention: a massive RPG lying right in the center of the room on its own table.

When it worked, that Pinkie Sense was a friggin miracle...

"Sweet Celestia on high..." Applejack murmured. "Ah think we found our Black Market."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Rarity said quietly to herself.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was all but bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Dude..." she said in an awed tone. "Forget about the robbery... we could take over Equestria with this kind of artillery!"

A low, baritone laughter sounded from one of the dark corners of the room, causing Fluttershy to squeak in fear.

"Well, I wouldn't lay any claim to that," came a thickly accented male voice, definitely Stalliongrad. "But far be it from me to stifle your creativity."

The ponies all turned to the direction of the voice, and from out of the shadows stepped a rather intimidating looking dark blue stallion with no mane whatsoever, a large scar across his right cheek, and an eyepatch over his left eye. He was fairly old, at least in his mid to late sixties, but he was also very muscular, especially in hid forelegs. He had no cutie mark, and that really came as no surprise to Twilight; she imagined stallions like these had no real reason for trying to obtain one. They just wanted their money, and there was nothing special about that talent. Any pony could make money.

"So," the stallion continued, he was smiling quite warmly, which was admittedly quite unnerving. "Welcome to my humble shop! You must have some pretty strong connections if you were able to find this place!"

"Uhhhhh, yeah," Twilight said, trying to sound calm and resolute. "We, uh... asked around and heard you were the guy to see about heavy firepower."

The stallion laughed again. It was a creepy, throaty laugh that sent chills up the spines of all six mares. Even Pinkie Pie seemed a little unsure about this guy.

"Well, you heard correctly!" He announced grandly. "Please, come in, all of you! You've caught me at just the right time; I just received a new shipment of full-auto rifles straight from Stalliongrad, the finest you'll find anywhere, I guarantee it!"

With forced smiles on their faces, the six mares took noticeably shaky steps into the shop. It wasn't so much that they were afraid; this stallion seemed like nothing they couldn't handle -the fact that he was the only guy in here actually set them at ease- It was just so overwhelming see so much deadly firepower at once. Most of them had only seen a lot of this stuff in movies. The fact that it was all right there in front of them, right there for them to touch...

"I must say," the stallion said suddenly. "I don't get a lot of mares in here. What's the occasion ladies? Goin' after your ex's or something?" He laughed heartily.

"Eh heh heh, sure," Twilight replied with a unintentionally goofy smile.

"Well, don't let me stand in your way!" the stallion said. "Browse! Browse all you want. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to help."

_Why does he sound so sinister? _Twilight thought to herself.

It was true; something in this stallions voice hinted at the fact that he was something of a psycho. Twilight figured she shouldn't have expected anything less though; she had read about how dangerous these ponies were... as well as where most of their money went towards. It wasn't pretty...

Twilight took that time to appreciate just how lucky she was to live in the peaceful land of Equestria. She knew that the many countries and territories that surrounded them were far from peaceful; they were ravaged by war and genocide, ruled by brutal war horses who had no qualms about using the most sadistic of methods to keep those they ruled over in line.

Twilight recalled a time when Zecora had shared with her the main reason she had come to Ponyville. It hadn't just been to study the local herbs of the Everfree forest. The zebra was forced to leave due to the unbearable living conditions of her village, courtesy of the local militia. The land had been embroiled in civil war for decades, and many innocents were caught in the middle of it. All of Zecoras friends and family had been taken from her in some way, shape or form, and in order to avoid meeting the same fate they did, she had to flee.

She was unable to go into detail about the more harrowing aspects of her journey, but the sorrow in her eyes made it perfectly clear that it had taken an extreme toll on her. Still, through it all, the kind-hearted zebra always wore a smile on her face and was always willing to help a friend with her herbal remedies, as well as a nice soothing rhyme to to put ones mind at ease. At first glance you would never know just what she had been through.

Twilight was the only pony that Zecora had ever told about her hardships. The zebra just wanted the horrors of her past behind her, but she also wanted at least one pony to know what was happening in the world...

Twilight could barely hide the utter disgust and shame she was feeling at being in this "place of business", this place that profited on the suffering of others and made its sole purpose to ensure that this kind of violence could continue. She had to keep reminding herself that they weren't in any way contributing to this cause. They were, after all, going to be robbing this place when they had what they wanted. And as for that dark blue stallion, acting all friendly and jovial, willing to be helpful... she saw through that facade easily. He was just another war profiteer. He didn't care how many died, he just wanted, as Rainbow Dash had put it: a profit. The lavender unicorn could hardly wait to make him pay for his crimes, though she had no idea just how they were going to do it... or when.

_I wonder if Celestia is even aware of what goes on outside Equestia... _she thought bitterly, giving herself another reason to despise her mentor.

Meanwhile, the others had spread out around the shop, checking out the various rifles that were on display. Each one of them had their eyes on something different. Rainbow Dash was currently glossing over an Ak-47, among the most common assault rifles in the land. She held it delicately in her hooves (she had to hover to do that) and ran her eyes over it carefully, her face scrunched up in concentration. She held it up to her face and aimed down the sights. Fitting her hoof over the trigger, she gave it a quick and somewhat hesitent squeez. She was half expecting it to actually fire off some rounds... it didn't, and the pegasus couldn't help but feel a little stupid for hoping otherwise; there was no way they'd actually keep these things loaded while they were on display.

"Ahhhh, I see you're a pony who appreciates a good, reliable assault rifle..." the thickly accented voice of the stallion sounded over Dash's shoulder.

Turning to look at him, she saw that he seemed genuinely impressed by her selection.

"Yeah, it's pretty sweet," Dash said. "Buuuuut, it's also a little primitive. Do you have any of these models with the red-dot sights? Or maybe an attachable grenade launcher?"

The stallion gaped at her for a moment... then burst out in hearty laughter.

"Oh ha ha ha! You're a Modern Warmare fan, I take it?"

Dash gave a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, I was," she said. "Until everypony started hacking it; then it just go annoying."

"Ah, true... true..." his laughter died down. "Anyhow, I think I have what you're looking for in the back. Wait here."

The stallion trotted off through a doorway that was lined with beads. It looked more like something you would see in a video store that housed the more "adult friendly" films. Most likely those beads were used here to offer a little more... decoration to the otherwise grim surroundings.

Dash grinned with excitement as she waited for the stallion to return with a firearm worthy of her awesomeness. A scathing look that Twilight was giving her caused it to fade a bit.

"A grenade launcher, Dash? Really?" She said in annoyance. "We're robbing a bank, not taking on heathen armies of Tartarus!"

"Aw, c'mon, Twi," Dash said lazily. "I'm not actually gonna fire it off. Just think of it as a decoration or something."

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. As ridiculous as that sounded, she had to admit that maybe it would be helpful to have something like that with them if things turned... ugly. Besides, maybe a grenade launcher could act as a pretty handy deterrent for keeping civilians in line.

At that moment, the dark blue weapons proprietor returned. Balanced on his back was a similar looking rifle to what Dash was holding, only this a few extra attachments to the top and bottom.

"Here you are: an Ak-47 with attachable red-dot sight and XM25 grenade launcher," he announced had he hoofed the weapon over to the pegasus. "Perfect for dealing with targets that are bunched together."

"Sweeeeeet," Dash mused as she looked over the weapon. It was indeed worthy of her awesomeness.

Twilight sighed and shook her head, but in the end decided not to say anything. Although Dash could be as unpredictable as Pinkie Pie on occasion, she was far from unstable. She knew that the pegasus would by no means resort to using that grenade launcher unless it was absolutely necessary, which hopefully would be never.

Applejack, meanwhile, had her eyes on a rather imposing Twelve Gauge Shottie. She had heard about the devastating firepower these babies packed from her cousin Braeburn. Apparently some bandits up in Appleoosa had gotten their hooves on these particular weapons and had been terrorizing the countryside for quite some time before they were finally taken out by the local law enforcement. It was the weapon that Applejack now held in her hooves that made them so notorious.

The earth pony had no trouble whatsoever standing on her hind legs to be able to hold this weapon. They were, after all, quite possibly the strongest set of rear appendages in all of Equestria... at least that's what she wanted to believe. On top of that, she knew they were going to get in plenty of training with these things before they did anything too crazy. She'd take to maneuvering on her hind legs the way a pegasus took to flying: it would all come naturally.

"Now that baby there," came the voice of the dealer from over AJ's shoulder. "-is a true thing of beauty. One blast of this'll reduce a foal to nothing but a pile of guts!" He laughed jovially again. Applejack tried to keep straight-faced despite the rather crude comment.

"Ya don' say?" She quipped. "Ah s'pose this'll hafta do, though. Ah like me a weapon with a little kick to it."

The proprietor chuckled.

"You _won't _be disappointed," he said rather cooly.

Across from Applejack, Rarity was busy levitating a firearm of her own with her magic. Even though she wasn't physically touching the weapon, she was still cringing visibly at just being in the same room as such beastly and uncouth devices. One single train of thought had been playing through her head all day long:

_I simply cannot wait for this fucking day to be over._

Still, as flustered and distraught as she was... there was something about the rifle she had in her magic aura that attracted her. It was a rather sleek and shiny, and even a little... elegant, if that word was appropriate enough for such a barbaric tool of destruction. The unicorn figured that if she truly was going to go through with this, then she might as well look her best, and this particular rifle really seemed to go well with her, thought she couldn't quite pinpoint why. Though she was an expert in fashion and design, she had never quite taken into consideration how a rifle would work against certain designs and colors.

"The MP5..." the blue stallion said almost dreamily as he approached the ivory unicorn. "A weapon rather near and dear to my heart. I was issued one of these when I fought in the Foalshevik Revolution. Wouldn't have come out of it alive if it weren't this baby here."

Twilight, who had been overlooking a set of M16s found her attention snapped to the weapons dealer.

"_You _fought in the Foalshevik Revolution?" She could barely contain her horror.

"Indeed I did, comrade," the stallion replied. "I was only ten, and most of us were not much older than that.I fought valiantly alongside my brothers to bring about change to our faltering government. Oh, what an experience it was, ladies! But it's also a rather long and complicated tale, and one that I really don't have time to go into right now." He paused for a moment and looked down. He then said quietly to himself. "We got what we wanted, though. That was all that mattered." He looked back with a hint of a smile on his face. "You'll have to forgive me, but I think it's best we change subjects."

Twilight couldn't say she blamed him for not wanting to talk about it. She imagined nopony that was involved with bringing to power one of Equestrian history's most brutal dictators, Josef Stallion. Twilight had read so much about him in her books on the infamous Battle of Stalliongrad; how he came to power, how he had managed to create one of the most prosperous industrial empires in Equestria... at the cost of millions of lives (forced labor the main cause of deaths), and how he was eventually removed from power by Celestia... by means of a massive and costly war.

Equestrian history was far from smiles and sunshine...

Twilight now had another reason to hate the grizzled old weapons dealer. Although she couldn't imagine the horrors of being a foal soldier like he was, she couldn't condone what he had been responsible for. Soon though, they'd make their intentions known to him...

Poor Fluttershy looked like she was about to pass out from fear. Being in the presence of so many objects that were capable of such deadly carnage was too much for her tender little heart. Still, she tried to push those feelings aside; she had agreed to do this and now she had to see it through. The life of her pet depended on it. She would find something that would suit her eventually... she hoped.

Pinkie Pie, on the other hoof, had just taken interest in a weapon that was honestly larger than she was! The fact that she was able to hold it while standing on her hind legs was nothing short of amazing. Though she didn't quite have the same strength as Applejack, the pink pony could still be capable of some impressive physical feats from time to time, though nopony could quite explain them; it was just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.

She eyed the weapon in her hooves with pure jubilation in her eyes, like she just couldn't wait to try it out.

"Hey, mister weapon guy?" She called out to the blue stallion. "What's this thingy? It's huge!"

The dealer gave a chuckle and trotted over to her.

"That, my dear, is the M60... E4 variant, definitely not for armatures."

Pinkie giggled.

"Oh, I'm no armature, silly! I've handled plenty of these things! In fact, I've handled way larger that this... M60 thingamabob! Way way larger than-"

"Alright, alright," the stallion held up a hoof to stop her. "I'll take your work for it," he chuckled a bit. "What do I care anyway? It's money in my pocket either way. I could care less what you do with these little beauties... as long somepony here is able to pay for all this..."

"Oh, somepony's gonna pay alright..." Twilight whispered to herself.

The lavender unicorn had at that time settled on a standard AR15. It was nothing too flashy, but it seemed reliable enough, and reliability was more important than flash... she would have to remind Rarity of that at some point.

"Yo, Twi," Rainbow Dash said quietly as she slid up next to her casually. "I grabbed a few blocks of C4, should be enough to take down the safe. Anyway, how exactly are we planning on dealing with this guy?"

Twilight took a quick look around her to make sure the stallion was nowhere near them. Luckily he was currently preoccupied with helping Fluttershy out. As much as she hated herself for it, Twilight couldn't help but smile a bit at how out of her element the shy pegasus looked with all those deadly weapons surrounding her. But as scared as she looked, she still managed to shakily get her hooves around an MP5 similar to Rarity's, though it had one small altercation to it: a silver cylindrical object at the end of the barrel... a silencer. Twilight smiled a bit and shook her head; leave it to Fluttershy to pick the quietest possible weapon. There was no real problem with that selection, though. While silencers weren't a neccessity for this robbery, there was a chance that it could come in handy, though it was unclear exactly how at that time.

Twilight turned back to the rainbow-maned pegasus at her side, who was looking admittedly pretty anxious, as if she really couldn't wait to get out of there.

"I can probably get him under control with my magic," Twilight quietly explained. "We'll need to keep him conscious so he can tell us where he keeps his money hidded. And... there's a few other things I want to know of him..."

Dash shrugged and nodded her head.

"I guess that sounds good... but what are we gonna do with him when we're done?"

Twilight exhaled sharply. She pursed her lips and shook her head resolutely.

"We're going to have to make sure he doesn't come after us," she said grimly.

Already Rainbow Dash had an idea of what she meant, and yet her face remained as calm and confident as ever.

"I'll take care of him if you want me to," she said, not hesitating a bit. "I honestly don't think I'd feel a thing over it either. I mean, this guy is totally crocked! Hay, I remember hearing about Josef Stallion in school. Cripes, the stuff that happened under him was enough to make even me cringe!" She turned to look at the grizzled old stallion, her eyes narrowing in disgust. "And that old prick was part of it all. We can't let him live."

As badly as Twilight had wanted to avoid any more murder during this whole operation, she too couldn't help but feel a slight urge to end that miserable stallions life. She knew he deserved it, or at least she thought he did. With what he had told her, he sounded like he definitely deserved some kind of punishment for the life he chose to lead. Was death the only one severe enough, though? Maybe just a beating would suffice for now. She and her friends could knock him around for a bit, make him spill some info on where his bits were hidden...

"Twilight dear," Rarity's prim voice snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. She noticed that all of her friends had gathered around her, each one looking like they were seconds from a nervous breakdown.

"I think we all have what we want," Rarity continued. "I suppose the question now is how are we going to get out of here?"

"Ah'ma tellin' girls, ah can't handle another moment around that feller there," Applejack jerked her head in the direction of the old stallion, who appeared to be almost out of it as he stared intently at an old MG42 lying in the corner of the shop. "He... he scares me. He honestly does."

"Pfft, he's just a crazy, war-torn old coot," Rainbow Dash said with a shaky wave of her hoof. "We've handled way worse than him. Hay, those punks last night intimidated me more than this guy."

"Ya sure about that, Dashie?" Pinkie asked with seemingly genuine concern. "'Cause you seem a little shaky-wakey."

"I'm fine, Pinks," Dash said shortly. "It's just... it's been a long day and I'm kinda tired. I haven't had a nice cloud nap in a while now, and that's probably why my wing's been hurting so much the past couple days," she turned to Rarity. "I mean, no offense, Rare, your sleeping pad is nice and all but it doesn't compare to a nice fluffy cloud."

It every fiber of the fashionistas being to keep from lashing out at the cyan pegasus for going on about what hard day it been her when she had barely done anything. Twilight could sense the fury in Rarity's eyes though, and quickly stepped in to keep things from getting any uglier.

"Alright, listen here, girls," she started. "It looks like you all picked out some pretty heavy duty stuff. I honestly don't think we could've found anything quite like this at any legit arms dealer. So... I guess it was a good thing we took this chance after all."

Fluttershy took a look at the Rifle in her hooves, then took a look at Rarity's. She realized that they were almost exactly the same.

"Oh, sorry I copied you, Rarity," she said with shame in her tone.

Rarity smiled and gently gave her a nuzzle.

"Oh that's quite alright, dear," she said kindly. "Great minds do think alike I suppose, and yours has that rather interesting little device at the end of it."

"It's called a silencer, Buck Norris," Dash said snarkily. "It makes the gun quieter. Kind of an ideal choice for you, eh Shy?"

"Um, I guess," the shy pegasus hid her somewhat flushing face behind her pink mane.

"So," Twilight cut in. "I think we've got everything we need. So now we just have to deal with-"

"I want that big rocket thingy!" Pinkie Pie suddenly said in a loud whisper. She pointed right at the RPG on the table next to them.

"THAT?" Twilight gasped as she followed Pinkie's hoof. "Absolutely not! We don't need something like that!"

Pinkie pouted and narrowed her eyes at the lavender unicorn.

"Aw, why not?" She moaned. "It could be like... my new party cannon or something!"

"Trust me, sugarcube, ain't nopony gonna wanna go to a party with that there rocket involved," Applejack assured her.

"Besides," Twilight came in. "There's no room in your saddle bag for something that big." She stared at Pinkie's M60. "Actually, I don't see how you're gonna be able to fit even that thing in there."

Without even a seconds hesitation, Pinkie Pie tossed the massive machine gun into her saddle bag... and in a physically impossible phenomenon, it fit in there perfectly. Twilight and the others just gaped at the pink pony, who flashed a cutesy, almost smarmy grin back at them. It was just another unexplainable defiance of the laws of physics that Pinkie Pie was so often capable of.

Twilight quickly shook it off and regained herself.

"You still can't have the RPG. We don't need it."

Pinkie frowned and kicked a forehoof at some dust on the ground.

"Aw phooey," she muttered. "You guys are no fun anymore."

"Ladies!" A thickly accented voice sounded off from behind them. "Are you all set?"

"Uh, yeah," Twilight said slowly as she turned to face him. "We just need some ammo and we'll be good to go."

"Ah, of course, I'll be right back..." the dealer took off into the back room again. He was gone for about five minutes before he returned with six separate suitcase-like objects balanced on his back, each one marked with the name of the particular firearm it's contents were meant for.

"You've each got about five hundred rounds," he said as he set the cases down gently. "I threw in some instruction manuals on how to operate these things as well. Does that all sound good? More ammo? Less?"

"Five hundred rounds will be fine," Twilight said.

"Very good then," the weapons proprietor looked them over with an unnerving smile on his face. "Well, look at you all! With that kind of firepower, perhaps you _can _take over all of Equestria! I believe you would've done the S.E.P.W.U. itself proud!"

It took a herculean effort for the six mares to keep from lashing out angrily at the stallion for being compared to that evil organization.

"So," he continued, taking a step towards the mares. "The time has come for money to exchange hooves. How will you be..."

The stallion trailed off there as he met the intimidating gaze of the lavender unicorn before him. It was as if a sixth sense was telling him that he had just come into contact with a group of psychos. One by one he met their gazes, and one by one he realized that these mares had no intention of paying him for all this firepower... and they definitely wanted something else from him as well.

It was at that point that he noticed the pinkish aura surrounding the lavender unicorns horn... and it was at that point he was starting to wish he'd had that enchantment done that prevented magic from being performed in his shop.

"MOTHERFU-" was all he got out before a powerful blast from her horn sent him flying into the back wall of his shop. He crashed to the ground, several rifles falling on top of him, almost burying him. He moaned groggily, clearly dazed.

"Niiiiiiice," Dash said enthusiastically.

"Bravo, dear," Rarity congratulated her friend.

"So... do we run for it now?" Fluttershy asked in a barely audible whisper.

"No, we need him to tell us where his bits are hidden," Twilight replied. "We might as well clean this place out while we're here. Then... we're gonna have to do something about him."

Nopony argued. Truth be told, they were all thoroughly disgusted with that old stallion and everything he stood for. Here these six mares had on numerous occasions risked their lives and sanity to save their land, all through relatively peaceful means. And ponies like him thought they could just come along and instigate war and violence wherever they pleased. They cared nothing for the well-being of their land, nor did they probably even put much stock into their own ideals.

They just wanted a profit... no matter who they had to step over to get it.

"Let's find a way to restrain him," Twilight said as she and her friends approached him. Slowly, a sinister grin formed on her face. She had completely forgotten how she had berated her friends earlier for slipping into the criminal lifestyle so easily. Now... she wanted to join them.

"It's time we had a little chat with our friend here..."

* * *

_**Wow, I think every force on the planet was trying to prevent me from getting this chapter out. My notebook acting wierd, all this personal crap going on... it's amazing I got this thing out at all! **_

_**On top of that I managed to finish my other story and get that one posted. Please give it a look if you feel so inclined. It's kind of a polar opposite of this story (a light-hearted Scootaloo/Rainbow Dash story to be precise) but I'm pretty proud of it. Check it out and tell me what you thought... *slips into Fluttershy voice* Um, that is... if you want to...**_

_**Thanks for reading. Hopefully thing go smoother with the next chapter.**_


	13. Following Orders

**Chapter Thirteen:**

**Following Orders**

"Wake up, shit-flank!"

A sharp pain struck the side of the weapons dealers face as he was met with the feeling of a forehoof slapping him. Slowly his vision swam back into focus, though it was still pretty hazy. Through his one good eye he could barely make out the familiar surroundings of his weapons shop, as well as the cyan colored face in front of him, scowling viciously.

"Huh, wha..." he could barely speak or think coherently. "Am I... dead?"

"No, silly filly!" Comes the high-pitched squeak of the pink mare. "You're not dead... yet."

His memory began to come back to him now; he was in his weapons shop helping a group of mares with some weapon selection when... they attacked him. The purple unicorn had hit him with some kind of magical attack, rendering him momentarily unconscious, though for a second he had honestly thought she had killed him.

"I said wake up!" He received another slap. His vision was still blurry, and his eye began to droop again.

"I, um, don't think that's going to work, Rainbow Dash," that squeaky soft voice met his ears. "I think he might need a moment to regain himself."

"I'll give him another minute, and if he's not fully awake I'm putting a round in his leg; that oughta get his attention!"

"Dash, ya don't even know how the consarned weapons work," he could barely make out the form of the orange earth pony off to the side.

"We managed to load 'em, didn't we? How hard can it be?" The cyan pegasus became more clear in his vision. "Besides, we have the instructions with us. I'll just give 'em a quick once-over and I'll be handling this baby like a pro."

"Uh, dears?" That prim and proper unicorn spoke up. "I believe our friend here is coming to again."

"Urgh, what the fuck?" The stallion shook his head a bit. His vision was clearing up even better now, though what he saw did nothing to set his mind at ease.

The six multi-colored mares were gathered around him, their weapons trained on him. The dim lighting of the room gave them a shadowy, sinister appearance. He made an attempt at moving, but found that he couldn't. His forehooves were bound by a thick rope, tied around a metal pipe in the corner of his shop. He was laying on the floor, sprawled out on his back in the most vulnerable position imaginable. If one of those mares felt so inclined, they could easily bring a powerful hoof down on his... _area. _

Internally he was beating himself up fiercely. He had foalishly let his guard down. As a weapons dealer for one of the most dangerous organizations in Equestria, he had to always be wary of those who came to him. There was always a good chance that he could be dealing with violence. Just about every day he found himself face to face with a psycho of some kind. It wasn't his place to ask questions, though. His job was to provide firearms and that was that. It didn't matter to him in the slightest what those firearms were to be used for.

Occasionally he _did _find himself dealing with some sort of attempted robbery, or just some nut who didn't want to pay for his weapons, and in those cases his expertise in hoof to hoof combat really came in handy. He learned quite a bit while serving in Stallions army. But when he saw these six seemingly harmless mares enter his shop that night, he let all his defenses slip. He figured these mares would be the last ones to ever start any kind of trouble.

_Guess it's always the ones you least suspect, _he thought bitterly to himself.

"Morning, sweetheart," the cyan pegasus said venomously to him.

The stallion showed no fear externally, even though deep down he was a bit nervous. He had been incapacitated in ways similar to this; captured by enemies, beaten and tortured and such. It would've been almost nostalgic for him if he hadn't felt this sense of dread that he had never quite experienced before, at least not at that level. When he was captured by enemies in his army days, he knew what they wanted from him: information. And he also knew that as long as didn't break down, they wouldn't kill him. The longer he could hold out, the longer he would live, and the sooner he we come to getting rescued.

But these six mares... aside from money, he could sense something else in that they wanted. There was something in their eyes that told him they had something they wanted from him. Something more... _personal. _Putting on his most defiant expression, the grizzled old weapons dealer glared viciously up at his captors.

"Well isn't this cute," he hissed. "Bunch of mares think they can intimidate me? ME?" He spat at their hooves. "You're lucky you caught me off guard, YOU HEAR ME? YOU'RE LUCKY! IF I HAD BEEN FASTER-"

"SHUT IT!" Rainbow Dash roared, sending a powerful kick into his side. The stallion groaned in pain, coughing and sputtering incoherently. Dash smiled with pride at the pain she was able to inflict. She leaned in closer to him, right down to his ear. "Even if you had been fast enough... we still would've kicked your ass."

"Oh ho ho," the stallion laughed mirthlessly, still cringing a bit at the pain in his side. "Yes, I'm sure you would've. Look at you all; you look like you've never handled weapons before in your lives!" He ran his eyes over all of them. "You don't scare me! Not in the slightest! Whatever it is you want from me, you're not going to get it easily! I've been through way worse than you!"

"That so?" Twilight Sparkle stepped froward, her rifle was levitated in front of her, surrounded in a purple aura, aimed directly at his head. "Well then it looks like we have our work cut out for us, don't we girls?"

"It would appear so," Rarity moved in towards the stallion, her weapon held in a similar manner to Twilights. "But we will most certainly not be leaving until we have what we want, so I must insist that you make this easy on yourself and just tell us what we want to know, dear," She paused there and leaned in closer to him, her expression became significantly more grim. "You don't want to know what we are capable of."

With a sharp exhale the stallion glanced around the room at the others again. They certainly did look serious, and that pink one... well, he knew a psychopath when he saw one. And that yellow pegasus, the quiet one... something in her eyes made him feel paralyzed with fear. He avoided her gaze as best he could, but the feeling he had when first glancing into them was not subsiding.

"And what exactly is it that you want from me?" He sneered at the mares, already knowing full well what the answer was.

"Ain't it obvious?" Applejack said. She stood firmly on her hind legs, aiming her shottie in his general direction. Though with a twelve-gauge she could've aimed a little off to the side and still probably would've taken a good chunk out of him.

"We're in a bit of a tight spot financially," Twilight began. She paced around in front of him in the way a movie villain would pace before a captured hero. "Each one of us has been met with severe misfortune the past week. It wasn't anypony's fault, we did nothing to deserve it, it was just a case of terrible luck. Now, we're just trying to make things right again. But in order to do that, we're taking a bit of a... radical approach." She stopped pacing and slowly turned to face him, her expression deadly serious. "We're hitting the bank of Equestria."

The stallions stared at the lavender unicorn, completely bank-faced. Truth be told, he was stuck between two possible reactions: either burst out laughing (and risk another possible kick in the gut) or take them seriously and just give them whatever they wanted (he might as well consider himself a total pansy if he did that).

All he managed to do was give a weak, almost shit-eating grin. He ran his eyes over the entire group again, making sure they were all looking at him.

"Is that so?" He said softly. "Well, this may come as a bit of a shock to you all, but... DO I LOOK LIKE THE FUCKING BANK OF EQUESTRIA?" Spit flew from his mouth as he shouted this, spraying those closest to him.

Applejack, annoyed at his outburst, stepped up to him, turned around and drove a back hoof into his stomach, hard. The stallion gasped in pain as the wind was knocked out of him. He coughed and sputtered again as he rolled over as far to the side as his bindings would allow.

"That's half what Ah got, boy," Applejack sneered. "Another outburst from ya and Ah'm aimin' lower."

The stallion grunted and glared back up at the earth pony. He wanted badly to retaliate in some way, but he was unable to catch his breath.

"You, my friend," Twilight leaned in close to him again. "Are just something of a practice run for us. With how you were going on about yourself earlier, you seem to be a pretty succesful merchant of death." The stallions glare hardened at hearing Twilights name for him. "Now, depending on how cooperative you're willing to be, this could all be over in a matter of minutes. Quick and painless, ya know? What do you say to that? You gonna be a good boy and help us out, or do we have to be a little more... persuasive?"

The stallion, in an act of defiance, struggled at his bindings some more, groaning and clenching his teeth furiously.

"Ain't no use strugglin', honey," Applejack said. "That there's mah special lasso. Ain't no way yer breakin' outta it."

"Damn," the stallion cursed under his breath.

"Stop acting so foalish," Twilight sneered. "Just tell us where you've got your bits stashed and maybe, _maybe, _we'll let you go back to your pathetic, hate-filled existence."

At that moment, the stallions body suddenly went stiff, almost as if he were standing at attention.

"Kill Shot! Private First Class! 2927339!" He shouted proudly.

The six mares just looked at each other. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie all looked confused. Twilight and Rainbow Dash appeared to know what was going on.

It's his name, rank and military number," Dash explained to the others.

"It's what prisoners of war are required to give to their captors," Twilight added.

"Prisoners of war?" Rarity mused. "What does he think this is, some kind of game?"

"Yeah! Ya think we're playing around, asshat?" Pinkie Pie spat at him.

"Kill Shot! Private First Class! 2927339!" Kill Shot shouted again with the same level of pride.

"Alright, buddy. You want to play POW? Then that's how we'll treat you." Twilight snapped. She turned to her friends. "One of you hold his leg up a bit. I'm gonna break it."

Her friends gaped at her. Well, most of 'em did. Rainbow Dash gave her a look that said she was as ready, willing and able as always.

"Twilight?" Came the soft, barely audible squeak of Fluttershy. "I... I thought we weren't going to hurt anypony anymore."

"What in tarnation's gotten inta, Twi?" Applejack said sharply. "Ah understand we gotta do what we gotta do, but just moments ago you were the only one who didn't want ta come in here. Now yer all ready ta strat bustin' up limbs like some kinda consarned mob boss?"

"_Will you guys just listen to me for a sec?"_ Twilight hissed in a hushed tone. "If we're gonna get this guy to give us what we want, we have to show him that we mean business. We can't afford to show any sign of weakness in front of him or he'll think we're not to be taken seriously."

"She's right, guys," Dash came in. "If this guy thinks for a second that we'll falter under pressure, we're fucked. We'll end up leaving here empty hoofed... well, actually we'll have the free weapons and all, but we're not going to be much closer to fixing our main problem, which is getting us financially sound again. If we don't take what we can here, it's just gonna give us more to do when we actually pull off the heist. Any chance we can take to make this whole thing easier, we gotta jump on. In fact, Twi, you hold his leg up, and I'll break it."

"Oh, um... sure, Dash, if that's what you want," Twilight stammered a bit. She sounded a bit taken aback, but deep down, she was grateful for the support. "Thanks, Dash. That's very... noble of you... I guess."

Dash placed a reassuring hoof on Twilights shoulder.

"We gotta do what we gotta do, right?"

Twilight exhaled sharply and gave a solemn nod. Rainbow Dash, for being as dense-minded and clueless as she could be, could not have made a more accurate statement right then and there. The others seemed to take it to heart as well, because they were all nodding as well.

Twilight turned back to their captive, who was still staring at them with that same look of defiance and pride. Twilights horn glowed, a pinkish aura surrounded the right rear leg of Kill Shot and levitated about a foot in the air. She locked it there firmly, then pressed down on it, making sure it was secure enough. At that point Rainbow Dash stepped up, with a look of what almost appeared to be sadistic glee... or maybe she was just trying to look tough, and deep down she was not exactly looking forward to this. Impossible to tell.

"So your name's Kill Shot, huh?" She said to the stallion as she placed her forehoof over his suspended leg. "Ya know, with a name like that, I guess your parents were kinda expecting you to be a fighter."

"It's not my birth name," the stallion replied. "It was the name given to me for skill with a sniper rifle."

"That so?" Dash pressed her hoof down gently on his leg. "I'm guessing your real name is embarrassing or somethin'? Like, is it Crap Shoot or something, and they wanted the name they gave you to be kinda close to your real name so you wouldn't be too confused when they called you or something?"

"Why don't you let me go, and I'll show exactly why that name was given to me," Kill Shot sneered viscously.

"Hmm," Dash took a mock pondering stance, rubbing her chin with forehoof. "Tempting, buuuuuuut..."

At that moment, the pegasus, her face screwed up in an almost comical expression of rage, slammed her hoof down on the stallions leg. A loud snap filled the room as the leg bent at an unusual angle, followed by the standard shriek of pain.

"FFFFFFFUCKING SHHHHHHIT!" Kill Shot screamed and flailed wildly.

Rainbow Dash, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline as well as an urge to really prove that she and her friends weren't messing around, couldn't help herself and smashed her hoof down on it again. This time the leg remained bent at that unusual angle, and the weapons dealer roared even louder. Twilight and the others all cringed, but tried to make it unnoticeable. Fluttershy was once again hidden behind her mane, her weapon still aimed blindly in the general direction of the hysterically screaming stallion.

"YOU BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

"Dash, that's enough," Twilight said calmly. "We don't need to go too far... yet."

Rainbow Dash grunted in acknowlegdement, but that small gleam of insanity (or was it fear?) hadn't left her eyes.

"So how 'bout it, feller?" Applejack said to the wailing proprietor. "Ya gonna buck up an' tell us where yer bit 'r stashed?"

"Or should we move onto the next leg?" Twilight interjected. She released her magical grip on his leg and let it thump to the ground, drawing a groan of pain from him.

Kill Shot coughed and sputtered incoherently for a little while longer. Twilight debated giving him a kick in the gut, but decided that it was best to just let him recompose himself and try to answer rather than inflict more pain on him. It wasn't long before is coughing began to sound very much like chuckling. That faint chuckling soon gave way to full-blown laughter. Although it was still heavily labored, and there was definitely pain underlying it, there was no doubt it was laughter. The six mares exchanged glances. Every one of wore an expression of worry, though they were definitely trying to mask it. Even Pinkie Pie couldn't hide the fact that she was a little freaked out.

"You... you want to know where my bits are stashed?" The shaky voice of Kill Shot drew their attention back to him. He was pale and shivering violently, but he wore a nasty, disturbing smirk on his face. "I... I'll tell you where they are. No problem."

The ponies just gaped at him for a second, as if they weren't sure they had heard him correctly.

"Really?" Twilight said stupidly. She was cringing internally at how dumb she had sounded. "Well... um, alright then."

"Smart boy," Dash snarked.

Even Fluttershy seemed to calm down a bit as her face reemerged from behind her curtain-like mane.

"Well, we're all ears, friendo," Twilight said, leaning in towards Kill Shot again. She was honestly deeply relieved that this ended up not taking as long as she thought it would. She so badly wanted to get out of there.

Slowly, the captive stallions laughter began to fade. Sweat poured profusely down his face, his teeth chattered a bit as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I keep them hidden..." he began, pausing for effect. The six mares leaned in closer to him, anticipation gleaming in their eyes. "Riiiiiiiight... under... my... BAllS!" He roared out the last part, making his captors jump back in surprise. "That's right! Right there under my balls! Now, which of you nice young ladies wants to do the honors of FONDLING THEM FOR ME?"

The ponies all frowned in disgust at him. Fluttershy retreated back into her mane.

"Stupid fuckin' masochists," Dash muttered.

Applejack set her shottie down and trotted calmly up to him. The look on her face almost scared Twilight; she looked like she was about to explode with rage, and at the same time there was a sort of chilling calm to her. She was actually smiling a bit even. It was the flaring of her nostrils and the slight shakiness in her step that suggested the rage that was underlying her seemingly benign exterior. The unicorn took a step back, not wanting to be anywhere near the unspeakable hell the farm pony was about to unleash.

"Yer hindin' under yer balls, ya say?" Applejack asked. "Which balls we talkin' 'bout here? Yer beach balls? Yer soccer balls? Basketballs maybe?"

The wounded stallion just chuckled. He was clearly not letting this pony get to him, and he certainly wasn't going to play along with her phony little Twenty Questions game either.

"Ohhhhhhh!" Applejack said, a sinister smile stretching across her features. "Ya meant yer little hacky sack down there, didn't ya!"

"DING DING DING DING DING! She's got it!" Kill Shot cried out in mock joy, and Applejack just burst out laughing, though it was obvious she was feigning her amusement.

"Ah ha ha! Aw, boy howdy, Ah knew were dumb, but Ah didn't think ya were downright stupid!" The earth pony spun around and got into her standard apple bucking position, aiming a little lower. "Soooooo, yer sayin' they're right... about... HERE?" She bucked with almost full force. Her friends all cringed at the sound of the contact.

The room filled with eardrum shattering roar of pain. It was almost enough to make the lights flicker. Kill Shot squirmed and writhed uncontrollably, ignoring the pain in his leg. Applejack's mouth curved up in a small smile. Though she felt a small tinge of disgust at herself for using her apple bucking skills for such brutal means, she was also starting to enjoy her newfound talent of getting these bastards to scream.

"Ah ain't seein' any bits here, ya varmint!" She snarled at him. "Maybe ya oughta smarten up an' spill the beans now, lessin' ya want another blow ta yer stallionhood!"

"I... I... they're... you..." Kill Shot could barely get a word out between his heavy, labored breathing. Sweat was pouring down him like waterfalls now, and his shaking was becoming more pronounced.

"Beg pardon?" Applejack place a hoof to her ear and leaned towards him a bit.

Kill Shot was practically choking out his words now.

"A li- *cough* a l-little more to the r-right..."

Applejack pulled back and just stared at him, eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Excuse me?" She said in disbelief.

"I... I said... a little more to the right... heh heh, it... it itches there..." Kill Shot shot a nasty grin at her.

Applejack gaped slightly, her eye twitched uncontrollably. Her friends stared at her with worry. No, "worry" was an understatement; they were downright freaked out, or at least Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy were. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash didn't seem all that fazed. In fact, they almost seemed to be urging Applejack on the looks they were giving.

"_Do it, make him scream," _Rainbow Dash mouthed silently to the earth pony.

Even though Applejack wasn't looking at them, she could practically sense the urging coming from her friend/rival, and if Applejack had been a pony of lesser restraint, she would've turned around, socked Dash right in the face, then rounded on the stallion again and ripped him apart limb by limb. The fact that he would have the gall to even remotely imply that she should scratch his... ugh... was more than enough to drive her into psychotic beast mode.

Without a word, and in one swift move, the enraged earth pony spun around and slammed her rear hooves into him with full force... again and again.

The look on Applejacks face was unforgettable; it was pure, insane, almost gleeful rage. As she continued to pummel mercilessly into her victim, her friends found themselves almost instictually backing away, though once again Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were continuing urge the raging farmer on with their looks. Meanwhile, Kill Shot was roaring with pain and... was that a faint hint of amusement in his voice?

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! OH DO IT AGAIN, BITCH!" He roared through his wails. "AHHHAAAHAAAA! DON'T STOP! OHHHHHHH KEEP GOING!"

"Um... Applejack," Fluttershy whimpered through her mane. "I... think you can stop now. I mean, if you want to, that is."

"Applejack, that's enough!" Twilight found her courage again and gave a stern order.

With one last mighty rear, Applejack sent her strongest buck possible right into his nether regions, savoring the feeling of his ravaged member. The farmer then stepped away, panting and grunting heavily, her eyes still twitching erratically. Behind her the brutally ravaged stallion, moaning and groaning loudly, turned to his side and vomited profusely. The foul stench of his bile filled the room instantly, making Rarity audibly gag.

"H-had enough?" Twilight said shakily, as she stepped up again.

As Kill Shots moaning and retching began to subside, a faint and slightly pained laughter began to replace it. It became more and more pronounced, and soon it was just full-blown jovial laughter. The mares just gaped at him in disbelief. Even Applejack, who still appeared heavily exhausted, was humbled by this reaction.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?" Rainbow Dash asked, just absolutely stunned.

"A-are you insane or something?" Twilight stuttered. "I-I think maybe we _should _just break his other leg!"

"Aw screw that, Twi," Rainbow Dash spat as she stepped up to the huddled mass of stallion. She sent a sharp forehoof right upside his mucus and vomit covered face. "I say we break every bone in his worthless... stupid... body!" She landed another blow with each word. The sounds of her hoof cracking against his face was sickening.

"Back room!" Kill Shot burst out suddenly. Rainbow Dash halted her next blow.

"What?" She spat.

"B-back room," the broken stallion choked out, blood dribbling from his mouth. "It's in a safe in the back room. Combination's 21-16-30." He began chuckling again, a couple of loose teeth fell out of his mouth.

Once again, the six mares could only gape at the weapons proprietor, and all the while he was just laughing away.

"This guy's crocked," Dash said with a forced laugh. "He's totally nuts! But, oh well, guess The Dash proved to be too much for him!" She socked him again just for the hay of it. It elicited a groan from him, which was quickly followed by more laughter.

Twilight moved in closer to Kill Shot, glaring at him with a look that practically screamed _'I don't believe you.' _

"The back room, you say?" She asked him sharply. "Where you got her gun?" she nodded towards Rainbow Dash.

"Y-yes," Kill Shot replied weakly. "I _do _want you to see what's in there. I just wanted to fuck with you a bit before I told you about it. Oh, I... I think you'll like what you find..." he began to laugh again.

"The hay's he talkin' about?" Dash asked.

"Why are you being so cooperative all of a sudden?" Twilight asked him harshly. "Because I don't think we've broken you quite yet. I think there's something you're not telling us." The lavender unicorn then pressed her hoof down hard on his broken leg, drawing a loud roar of pain mixed with laughter from him. "What've you got in that safe? Is rigged to explode with the wrong combination or something? Tell me!" She pressed her hoof in harder, practically feeling the break in his leg. His laughter cut off abruptly there.

"I-it's harmless, I s-swear," he managed to say. "B-b-but..." he began to smile a bloody, almost toothless grin. "Y-you just have to see for yourself... heh heh."

Twilight turned back to her friends to see that they all wore similar expressions of concern.

"Twilight," Rarity addressed her fellow unicorn. "I... I don't think it would be wise to trust him. He is clearly a very sick stallion, and he may be so delirious with pain right now that he might not know what he's saying."

Twilight considered that for a moment. It was true this stallion was sick; she had made that assumption about him the minute she laid eyes on him. But there was no way he was too out of it to know what he was talking about. For some strange reason, she genuinely believed him when he said the was no danger in that safe. Maybe he wasn't as strong as he was letting on earlier. Maybe he figured he was very much like a cornered animal here, and that whether he held back or not... he was totally screwed.

Yes, it was true, Twilight Sparkle had no intention of letting this stallion live. As much as she had at first wanted to avoid any killing or maiming on this whole journey, there was no way she could sleep at night knowing that this stallion existed; selling instruments of death and destruction to anypony with the means to afford them, not caring what it was used for, just wanting to make a profit. This was her way of contributing to aiding in the war against crime, she supposed... even if she was a couple days away from committing one, herself.

_'Might as well do something good for this city while I'm here, even if it's not the most orthodox of methods.'_

"I'm checking it out," she said shortly. "One of you stay here and watch him."

"I'll do it!" Pinkie Pie offered with the same air of joy she always had. She trotted up to Kill Shot on her hind legs (very skillfully) and pressed the muzzle of her massive weapon right into his cheek, her face suddenly dead serious.

"Um, alright then," Twilight said. "Let's go girls."

One by one the mares threw their weapons into their sack (making sure the safety's were on, of course. They managed to figure tha part out fairly easily) and followed Twilight into the back room. Applejack's steps were shaky and awkward, and she was muttering something incoherent to herself. The earth pony was obviously still shaken by her sudden outburst. Fluttershy moved up to try and comfort her friend, but Applejack coldly shrunk away from her, eliciting a small squeak from the pegasus.

Meanwhile Pinkie Pie glared dangerously down at the dealer of death... and he glared back, though his glare was significantly weaker.

"Just know," Pinkie said to him in her most threatening tone. "That if anything happens to my friends in there, if they're harmed in any way..." She got right down into his face. "I won't shoot you. Not just yet at least. I'll rip you open and make you eat every last thing I pull out of you. And _then _I'll shoot you."

Kill Shot's glare softened a bit, and he soon found that he couldn't meet her eyes anymore. He didn't want to admit it, but this pony scared him. The others, not so much; they were just some armatures in way over their heads. But this Pink pony here, there was something wrong her... something _very _wrong.

* * *

"Here it is," Dash announced as she located a rusty old small safe in the back corner of the room. Not particularly large, but big enough to contain a fair amount of bits.

It was a disgusting place, really, even more dank and grimy than the rest of the shop. This appeared to be his living quarters as well as the place he kept some of the more advanced weaponry. The kind of stuff you had to ask for. There was a dirty, ragged old bed on one side of the room. In front of the bed was an ancient T.V set. Though the screen was fuzzy and distorted, the image it was showing was clearly definitely something pornographic.

"Pfft, nice," Dash had remarked when she noticed it. Rarity and Fluttershy just turned away in disgust. Applejack was still too busy fuming to notice. Thankfully the sound was muted. Or maybe it was broken. Didn't matter at all. The last thing they needed to hear was some slut moaning away.

Twilight stared intently dilapidated old safe alongside her friends.

"Well, it certainly wasn't very well hidden now, was it?" Rarity said with a slight tone of relief. "Perhaps we needn't have bothered with torturing the poor foal back there."

"Well yeah, but we'd have needed to know the combination now, wouldn't we?" Rainbow Dash replied.

"Oh... right," Rarity flushed a bit.

At that moment, Twilight cantered briskly up to the safe and, without a seconds hesitation began putting in the combination. Her friends stared at her with shock.

"Twilight, dear, are you quite sure this is wise?" Rarity asked, not bothering to hide the fear in her voice. "Wh-what if it's-"

"It's not a trap," Twilight interrupted.

"How the hay can you know for sure?" Dash asked.

"I can tell he wasn't lying about that," Twilight replied. "I saw it in his eyes. But there's something else that's wrong with this whole thing; he clearly wants us to see something in here. I just want to find out what it is, finish him off, and get out of here. I've had enough of this place."

"Wh-what do you mean 'finish him off?'" Fluttershy whimpered through her mane.

Twilight didn't have time answer as the loud clunking sound within the safe indicated that it was unlocked. Twilight swung the rusty door open, which squeaked loudly as it did, and gazed into the safe. Behind her the others had shielded themselves or attempted to take cover behind whatever they could find to protect themselves from what they feared would be a massive blast of some kind. Even Applejack seemed to regain herself a bit as she made a move to get under the bed.

There was no explosion.

Slowly, the four mares began returned to there positions. Twilight sat in front of them, completely still. Almost statue-like. Her friends exchanged worried glances and stepped slowly towards her.

"What is it, Twi?" Rainbow Dash asked with concern. "What's in there?"

"Five hundred," Twilight muttered quickly and almost incomprehensibly.

"Five hundred?" Rarity said, confused. "What do you mean 'five hundred?'"

"Five hundred bits; that's all he's got in here!" Twilight snapped.

"Ah-are ya sure?" Applejacks shaky voice came from behind her. She sounded so distant...

"See for yourselves!" Twilight spat angrily as she stepped back.

The others moved briskly up to the safe, and what they saw made there blood boil; a small pile of golden bits lying the center. Small little tens and twentys were marked on them to indicate their value, and from where they were standing, it did indeed appear to be no more than five hundred worth.

"Well... it's a start, isn't it?" Fluttershy said hopefully.

"Fuck," was all Dash could manage. "FUCK!" She kicked the side of the safe, reeling back in pain when her hoof made contact with the hard steel.

"Ah'm gonna kill 'im," Applejack said with chilling calm. "Ah-Ah'm honestly gonna kill 'im."

"You won't have to," Twilight said quietly. "I will."

From behind them came the rage inducing laughter of Kill Shot. Clearly he knew they had found his little gift for them.

In one swift motion, Twilight levitated the tiny pile of bits into her saddlebag and spun around. She cantered out of the room, followed closely by her friends, and approached the wounded stallion, who was now laughing uproariously. Above him stood a very confused Pinkie Pie.

"Happy Hearths Warming Eve!" He shouted gleefully.

Twilight said nothing. When she got up to Kill Shot, she wasted no time unleashing hell on him. First she grabbed his broken leg between her forehooves and snapped it at an unusual angle. That act alone was enough to cut off his laughter and replace it with his loudest roar of pain yet. Then, like a wild animal, the lavender unicorn pounced on him and pummeled his face without relent.

"WHERE ARE THE REST OF YOUR BITS?" She roared as she smashed her hooves into him. "WHERE ARE YOU HIDING THE REST OF YOUR BITS?"

"Th-thats... all... I... have..." Kill Shot said between blows.

"BULLSHIT!" Twilight screamed right in his ear. "BULLSHIT, THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE! WHERE ARE THE REST OF YOUR BITS?" She finally let up her blows to allow him to speak.

"If... if only you had been a day earlier," he managed to say, his face was bloodied and swollen to near incomprehensibility. "B-before I paid for that shipment of SMGs. Ha ha ha ha!"

Twilight was breathing heavily now, her teeth were bared like a manticore's. As badly as she wanted to absolutely destroy him right then and there, there was something she wanted to know of him first. She took a few moments to collect herself, for she had to be calm to ask him this. She had accepted now that he was telling the truth, and that they were hardly any closer at all to solving their financial crisis. As much as she hated it, she knew he wasn't lying; he had that same look in his eye that he had when he told her about the safe. It was huge disappointment, but she had to let it go for a moment. She could be mad about it more later.

Slowly her breathing returned to normal, and her face, once contorted with rage, began to relax a bit. She cast a quick glance at her friends, just to see how they had reacted to her situation. And, to her honest relief; none of them looked the least bit fazed. Even Fluttershy had poked her face out of her mane again, and she no longer looked as nervous as before. In fact, all of them seemed to be mentally telling her to "do what you have to do".

And that was exactly what she wanted to see from them.

"Tell me something," she began calmly. The stallion was staring intently at her now through his blackened, swollen eye. "Are you proud of what you've become? Are you proud of what you do? Are you satisfied with what you've done with your life? Fighting for a mad dictator? Selling objects that can only bring death and misery? Is that what you wanted to do with your life?"

Kill Shot didn't laugh. In fact, his expression was impossible to read, and not just because it was bloodied and bruised beyond belief. There was absolutely no emotion in that face whatsoever.

"No," he answered curtly. "No, I'm not. I never asked for this life, it was just given to me. I had not choice but to accept it. My family was poor, my father was a drunk, my mother, a prostitute who received more beatings than pleasure. I was the only one trying to make ends meet; I tried to find good, honest, well paying work, but in the end it wasn't enough. I couldn't save my brother from dying of starvation. He was only six...

"There was nothing for me there, so I left my home to join Josef Stallion's army. I believed in his cause, I thought it was noble, just. Even I couldn't have predicted the madness that laid behind his eyes. I believed in his ideals, yet I couldn't condone the means he went to to achieve them. Yet I continued to fight for him, even after I knew what a monster he was. War was all I knew. I've killed stallions, mares, fillys, colts, just about everything that lives and breathes at one point or another, and all because I was just following orders. But now you ask me if I'm proud of it?"

He paused there for a moment, staring up at Twilight with that emotionless, ravaged face. The unicorn gazed back down at him. Her glare hadn't lessened one increment in it's intensity, but the rage in it had noticeably faded a bit, replaced by something that vaguely resembled understanding. Kill Shot registered this look and continued.

"Do you honestly think anypony grows up _wanting_ to live this kind of life? Do you?" Another long pause. "There's not a day that goes by where I don't wish with every fiber of my being that things could've been different. But I had to do what I had to do. Whatever atrocities I committed, it was all because I was trying to survive." He gave a small, sarcastic laugh. "Guess it didn't amount to much in the end anyway, considering where I am now; tied up and brutalized by a gang of wannabe tough mares." He ran his eye over the entire group again, a look of loathing and contempt replaced the blankness that was there moments ago.

"Now, let me ask you all a question," his voice was deep and deadly serious. "Are _you _all proud of what you are doing? Is this where you wanted to end up; holding up a back ally weapons dealer in preparation for some kind of grand heist that you probably all believe is for a noble cause?" He paused for a moment, clearly waiting for an answer. They gave him none, but their glares hardened again, and that was enough of an answer for him.

"I suppose you won't care about anything I have to say, and I can see it clearly in your eyes that you have no intention of letting me live. Putting an end to the life of a pathetic weapons dealer will be your good deed for the day, I suppose is what you're thinking." he stared right up at Twilight. "But before you end my pitiful existence, allow me to give you this one bit of advice: Go home. You have no idea what kind of life you're getting into. You didn't have to experience the kind of life that I had. There are other ways, other paths to take. You continue doing what you're doing here tonight and you may very well end up like I did.

"This kind of life... it will destroy you, young ones."

Kill Shot fell silent there. He exhaled sharply, let his head relax and slowly exhaled. His single bruised eye slowly fell closed. Twilight could feel heart beating still, as well as faint shots of warmth blowing from his nostrils. The lavender unicorn brought her face right down to his, putting her mouth right up against his ear, which she just now noticed was missing a chunk from the tip of it.

"You know nothing about us," she whispered coldly.

And then, in one swift move, Twilight drove her horn right into his eye patch with full force. Kill Shot yelped briefly, his limbs flailed frantically, his body convulsed, blood spewed from his mouth gratuitously as coughed and sputtered, spraying Twilight's face and mane. The unicorn paid it no heed. Her focus was solely placed on ending his life. She ignored the disgusting feeling of his warm, squishy brain matter sliding against her horn as she pushed it in further and further, her face screwed up in concentration.

About a minute had passed before Kill Shots convulsing began to subside. His body gave one last mighty twitch before going completely limp. Twilight heard his final breath escape his lips in an almost peaceful sigh. She closed her eyes slowly and attempted to breathe calmly; the deed was done, she could relax now.

Twilight slowly removed her horn from his eye socket, a sickening squashing sound accompanying it. When it was finally lose, a torrent of blood poured from the large gaping hole like a small waterfall. Her horn dripped with blood. A few bits of brain matter clung to it as well. Twilight wiped it off, along with the rest of her face on the the dead stallions sweat soaked coat. She didn't exactly get it completely clean, but it was clean enough to avoid drawing weird looks from others on the streets. She would clean herself up better when she got back to the warehouse. She stared into his single eye once more. Even in death, this stallion appeared to be staring into her.

She then slowly turned back to her friends, hoping deep down that they wouldn't be too terrified by her. They didn't look that way at all. In fact, they looked almost downright sympathetic towards her, as if they felt more sorry for her than they did the victim of her rage. Even Flutttershy wasn't as badly shaken as she assumed she would be. Maybe she was getting used to all this violence...

"I... I'm so sorry you had to do that, dear," Rarity said calmly, her head hanging.

"Why?" Twilight asked her as she trotted past them. "I'm not."

That was the last word any of them spoke for a while. Applejack trotted slowly up to the dead body. She used her teeth to undo his bindings and toss it back into her saddlebag, along with her twelve gage. She was significantly calmer now, her breathing normal and her mutterings subsided. She would never fully understand why she reacted the way she did when that stallion had made that remark to her. It was a very similar feeling to when she bucked that punks head into the stairs; just pure, white-hot anger. Maybe this whole damn city was just getting to her. Maybe this whole damn _experience _was just getting to her. Life was never gonna be the same for her after this whole ordeal... it wasn't going to be the same for any of her friends as a matter of fact. She had always had that thought in the back of her head since this whole journey began, but she had never really thought deeply about it until just then.

How were they going to go on once this whole thing was over? Would they ever be able to come to terms with the fact that they ended the lives of a fair few ponies? Sure, they were ponies that probably deserved to die, but were she and her friends justified in doing the deeds? The once peaceful farmer was going to have one hay of a time sleeping tonight. She had a feeling they all were...

They would leave his body as it was. Whoever would come in next would find it and it would be their problem.

**"Black Market Dealer Found Dead in Back Ally" **Seemed like an appropriate headline for the papers... if the story was even important enough to make the papers in the first place.

Twilight lead the group back outside, into the significantly cooler night air. It felt quite good against their sweat-soaked bodies, though it still wasn't enough to put there minds fully at ease. Wordlessly, they began trotting towards their temporary home, all looking forwards to laying down for the night and putting this whole day behind them.

They were so out of it that they had failed to notice that Pinkie Pie had managed to sneak another little gift for herself into her bag; something significantly more... explosive.

* * *

_**Yeah, I know I'm taking longer and longer with these chapters. But here's the deal with this chapter: I actually had this thing ready to go up last friday, but then there came the whole tragedy in Colorado, and given the nature of this story particularly this chapter- I decided to hold off on it for a few days. I even decided to go back and change the last part of it (originally Twilight was going to shoot him). I don't know if it was entirely necessary for me to do this, but for all I know some of my readers could've been affected by that whole ordeal in some way, and I thought it would be too much for me to put this chapter out there a little too soon after. Honestly, if anyone reading was affected by that whole thing, know that you have my deepest and sincerest condolences. It's such a terrible terrible thing.**_

_**I have to admit, this whole thing as very much affected the way I'm approaching future chapters. I won't give anything away, but I can guarantee there's going to be some gun-play. I was never intending to portray any of this stuff as "fun times". It's supposed to be kind of an intense, disturbing story. Obviously, being held at gunpoint or brutally tortured would be a terrifying ordeal (even if it is cute little ponies doing it), and in light of the events in Colorado, I don't know how some people may take future chapters. **_

_**But know this: I'm not abandoning this story AT ALL. I'm gonna push through and get it done no matter what. After all, they didn't cancel screenings of TDKR, so I have to show the same resolve they did. Again, my heart goes out to the victims and families. Be strong, guys.**_

_**Thanks for reading. I'll have the next chapter soon.**_


	14. Equestria Today

**Chapter Fourteen:**

**Equestria Today**

The silence of the warehouse that night was particularly unnerving for Twilight. She so badly wanted to hear the calming voices of her friends, talking about something, anything, to take her mind off the events that had transpired in the past twenty four hours. Instead, they all just lay there on Rarity's extra thick sleeping pad in total silence, staring up at the dark ceiling, breathing softly and silently.

Twilight couldn't take this. She wanted desperately to get the ball rolling on a conversation. She just didn't know what the conversation should be about. What was a proper conversation to have after brutally torturing and killing somepony?

_Nice weather we're having, s_he thought of saying as a joke. That just wouldn't do though; this was hardly the time for jokes.

She turned to her left, checking to see if anypony in that direction had drifted off yet. Applejack and Rainbow Dash lay there, and both were awake. Rainbow Dash was staring blankly up at the ceiling, her forelegs crossed behind her head. Applejack appeared to be infatuated with her own forehooves as she twiddled them, almost as if she were nervous about something.

Twilight then turned to her right. She immediately came face to face with Rarity, who was laying on her side, facing towards her. Her fellow unicorn gave her a small smile, which she barely managed to return. Lifting her head a bit to see what was on the other side of her, she saw that Pinkie Pie was beaming away at nothing in particular. She shifted constantly, as if she couldn't wait to get up again. Did she have even the slightest memory of what had happened not to long ago? Or did she just tend get over scenarios of extreme violence quicker than most? Either way, Twilight considered it both admirable and disturbing.

On the far side of the pad lay Fluttershy, who was the only one who had her eyes closed. Twilight doubted she was fully asleep, though. There was no way the sweet young pegasus would get to sleep so easily after going through everything she had been through recently. And indeed, she was shifting quite a bit. Nightmares were a sure thing for her tonight.

Twilight lowered her head again and rolled onto her back. She resumed her blank staring at the ceiling, hoping drowsiness would eventually take her over. It was a fools hope and she knew it; she would never be able to sleep tonight.

If that was going to be the case, then the unicorn didn't want to just lay there all night in silence. There was so much she wanted to get off her chest: how she was feeling about this whole thing, why she was acting the way she was, and most importantly of all, what her friends all thought of her. There was no hiding the fact that hr emotions had been all over the place the past few days; one moment she's berating them for suggesting they deal with the Black Market, then next she's taking point in brutally torturing and murdering anypony who stands in their way.

Talk about mood swings...

Twilight's mind tossed and turned as she tried to think of something to say to break this chilling silence. She worried for a second that maybe her friends didn't want to talk. After a day like the one they'd just had, any conversation, even a friendly one, seemed like a big no no. But... then again, was just lying there wide awake and saying nothing really the better option?

She had to try, she just had to; this silence was driving her insane... or at least more insane than she already felt. With a deep breath, Twilight said the first thing that popped into her head.

"So..."

It remained silent for a moment, and Twilight feared that either she hadn't been heard, or her friends were just unwilling to acknowledge her at that time. Then came the familiar raspy voice of her pegasus friend.

"So so."

Well, it was better than nothing. At least Rainbow Dash wasn't totally out of it. With a small smirk forming across her face, Twilight decided to try something.

"So so so." She said.

"So so so so," Dash continued.

"So so so so so."

"Twilight, I can do this all night if I have to," Dash said.

A brief moment of silence, followed by some mild snickering.

"You're on," Twilight giggled. Screw it; jokes were just fine right about now.

From her right came Rarity's soft, muffled groan.

"Please," she moaned, her voice muffled by her forehooves, which were pressed into her face.

Rainbow Dash just chuckled and shook her head. She had to admit, her mood had been just been slightly improved.

"Sup, Twi," she said casually.

"Hm, not much," Twilight replied lightly. "Can't sleep, ya know?"

"Pfft, what else is new?" Dash snorted. "I haven't had good night's sleep in days."

"I don't imagine any of us have," Twilight said.

"I've been sleeping alright!" The high-pitched, chipper voice of Pinkie Pie sounded off. "I haven't slept this super duper well in a long long long long looooooooong time!"

Rainbow Dash gave an almost indignant sounding snigger.

"You crazy, Pinks," she muttered.

"Well, duh! That's why you all love me, though!"

Twilight was surprised to find herself chuckling a bit at that. Maybe she was just so desperate for a laugh that anything, even Pinkie's occassionally annoying sense of humor, would've sufficed.

"That's true, Pinkie," she sighed. "We'd all just be so miserable without you."

"Hee hee, I know!" Pinkie giggled. "Ya know, I bet you could all use a good laugh right about now. Am I right?"

"Actually, Pinks, What I could _really _use right now is five hundred million bits in my saddle bag," Dash replied. "Buuuuut... I guess a laugh couldn't hurt much at this point. So, what the hay?"

"Goody!" Pinkie Pie chirped. She then began to search her mind for any good jokes or comedy routines she knew. As she thought, her friends all turned their attention to her. Rarity removed her forehooves from her face, Fluttershy's eyes flicked back open, and even Applejack seemed to snap out of her daze.

"Oh, I know a good one!" Pinkie cried suddenly, causing some of her friends to jump. "I heard this one not to long ago. This stallion was telling it to a friend of his when they came into Sugarcube corner one day, and I kinda sorta listened. I didn't quite get it at first so I had to look up some of what he was talking about but once I found out what it all meant I was lauging really really really really-"

"That's great, Pinkie!" Twilight interrupted quickly, a forced smile on her face. "Why don't you just tell us what it is. I'm actually pretty desperate to laugh right about now."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said. She then cleared her throat and began. "Alright, there's these two stallions; a rich one and a poor one, and they both happen to have their anniversaries with their wives in the same day. So every year they both of them go to the store to pick out gifts for their wives, and they both always happen to bump into each other. One year the poor stallion asks the rich stallion, 'What did you get your wife this year?' The rich stallion says 'I got her this beautiful diamond necklace and a brand new luxury carriage I can pull her around in.'

"The poor stallion says, 'Wow, why did you get her two things?' And the rich stallion says, "If she doesn't like the necklace, she can take it back in the carriage and still be happy.'"

Rarity sighed dreamily at that part. She had been searching so long for a stallion that would treat her that way. Pinkie Pie continued her joke.

"So then, the rich stallion asks the poor stallion, 'So what did you get _your_ wife this year?' And the poor stallion says, 'I got her a set of slippers and a dildo."

Rarity gasped, Fluttershy eeped, and Rainbow Dash laughed out loud. Twilight and Applejack just continued to listen quietly. Pinkie Pie could barely contain her own giggles now.

"So the rich stallions says to the poor stallion, 'Really? Why did you get her those two things?' And the poor stallion says, 'If she doesn't like the slippers, she can go fuck herself.'"

Rainbow Dash absolutely roared with laughter. Twilight chuckled lightly and shook her head. Rarity tried to appear shocked and offended at such a profane joke, but she was unable to contain a few light giggles as well. Applejack snorted a bit and let a few chuckles slide. And Fluttershy, though her face was hidden in her mane again, managed a small smile.

"Aw jeez, Pinkie," Applejack said after a while. "Ya really oughta think about taking that comedy act o' yers on the road. Ah reckon it'd make ya richer than any bank robbery would."

Pinkie Pie, instead of acknowledging AJ's words, gave a happy sounding gasp.

"Applejack, you sound happy again!" She cried.

The farm pony chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, Ah'm alright, just had ta let out all mah rage and frustrations in some way, so Ah just kinda wailed on that feller back there."

At the mention of the dead weapons dealer, everypony seemed to cringe internally. admittedly, they had all wanted to just let it go and move on with their mission. Already the memories of the punks they had slaughtered were beginning to subside. More and more they were starting believe that they really had done the right thing by removing their presence from this city. But that weapons proprietor? Was it entirely necessary to do what they had done to him? Were there other, significantly less violent options they could've taken to deal with him?

Twilight in particular was the one whom these questions were bothering the most. After all, she had been the one who had initiated all of this in the first place. She was the one who had rallied them up to attack those punks the first night, and she had been the one who had initiated the attack on Kill Shot. Most of what these mares had had to go through had been due to her ruthlessness. She imagined they were going to have a hard time looking at her the same way again.

Then, as if her mind had been read, Twilight heard the familiar voice of Rainbow Dash sound off.

"Look, Twi, you did what what you had to do with that guy," she said. "None of us thinks any differently of you... or at least _I _don't. I mean, I've seen plenty of horrible stuff in my time, living with the kind of parents I had. Believe me; I wanted to do to my dad what you did to that creep in the gun shop for so long. I just never had the guts to actually do it." Dash paused there a moment. Painful memories flooded back to her. "I still remember the day he was killed..."

There were a few gasps from her friends. Rainbow Dash had never brought up the fate of her parents before. They assumed it was painful enough for her just to talk about what life with them was like. Now, she was about to go into just what had happened to her father in the end.

"W-was he... murdered?" The soft, nervous voice of Fluttershy sounded.

"He got in deep with some tough crowd," Dash explained. "Borrowed some drinking money from them from time to time. I think they were the only ponies he even remotely liked, always made sure to pay 'em back with the crappy salary he made on the Weather Patrol... until he was fired for incompetence in the work space. Lost control of a storm system, let it get outta hoof. It ended up killing some poor foal who was outside at the time. I guess that kinda made my pop a murderer in some way." Pinkie Pie shifted uncomfortably. "Anyway, without any bits coming in, he had no way of paying back those thugs.

"I remember the day it happened; I was out with him while he was shopping with the few remaining bits he had. He didn't have much alcohol in him, so he was a bit mellower than usual. Then outta nowhere this pegasus stallion just comes up to him and shanks him right in the throat, right there in broad daylight! There were ponies everywhere around us! And this pegasus, he's gone before I can even get a good look at him. He muttered something like... well, I didn't quite hear him well, but I think he said something about some guy sending his regards or something, because, ya know, that line isn't the clichéd thing ever.

"So there I am; standing there watching that asshole I called my father bleed to death there on that cloud. Everypony around me seemed to be trying to help, but... deep down I think they were all pretty happy to see him go. He wasn't very popular with anypony.

"How horrible!" Rarity exclaimed suddenly. "I mean, even if a pony isn't particuarily the kindest of souls, he should still be given aid when his life is at stake!"

Rainbow Dash lifted her head a bit to look at the fashionista.

"Well, you didn't know the guy, Rare," she said. "Believe me, he would've disgusted _you _most of all."

"But still..." Rarity began, though she couldn't think of anything to back her claim up with.

"What if it was _your _parents, Rarity?" Dash asked almost nastily. "After what they had done to Sweetie Belle, would you have helped them if you had found them dying one day?"

"I... I..." Rarity couldn't have been more taken aback by the question. "What they did to her was sick and wrong, and I can assure you I have absolutely no love for them anymore. But... if I were to discover them in some kind of life threatening state, I suppose I would have to do something, wouldn't I? Is there not some kind of law about that sort of thing?"

Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"Yeah, I bet Sweetie Belle would be real happy to hear you say that about the ponies that nearly killed her," she said sarcastically.

"I'll have you know that Sweetie Belle harbors no ill will towards my mother and father," Rarity said confidently. "She merely wishes to live a happy, carefree life with her friends and myself. I truly believe she just want's the put the past behind her and enjoy what she has now." Rarity paused there for a moment. A faint sniffle could be heard emanating from her. "She's such a strong young filly, bless her heart. I love her so much. Even when she gets in my way... oh, but she try's so hard, she just... oh, sweet Celestia, how I love her!"

Rarity was now full on sobbing. Twilight reached over to her and patted her gently on the foreleg. For that moment she was able to forget the events of the past twenty-four hours and just focus on comforting her ever-generous friend.

"Man, it still just blows my mind that your parents would do something like that," Rainbow Dash said after a while. "I mean, I've never met them, but the way you've always acted, Rarity, I guessed they'd done a pretty good job raising you. Why do you think they would just totally flip and treat Sweetie Belle the way they did?"

"I honestly do not know, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied tearfully. "Maybe I was just so perfect that they didn't think another daughter could live up to my standards, so they just decided to not even bother trying with her." She let another sniffle out. "Maybe it's all my fault..."

"Don't talk like that, Rarity," Pinkie Pie cooed gently to her. "Your the one who saved her, remember?"

"Hmph, took me long enough, though," Rarity scolded herself. "Why couldn't I have gotten to her sooner?"

More silence followed. There was little any of them could think to say that would soothe their unicorn friend. None of them would've believed that the fashionista was carrying such a heavy burden. They couldn't have believed it of any of them to be honest. Each of them had been so caught up in their own sadness and pain that they failed to notice the same thing was eating away at the others.

And they had always seemed so happy...

"I'll admit this though," Rainbow Dash said suddenly, pulling everyponies attention to her again. "For one brief moment, I actually did feel some sadness when I watched my dad die. Maybe it was because just a few days ago he had done the only decent thing he had ever done as my father: he took me to see the Wonderbolts for the first time. Pretty much set me in what I wanted to do with my life. I mean, it didn't change what I thought of him, but... at least it was something."

From the other side of the pad came the soft sniffling that could only belong to Fluttershy.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, I'm so sorry I wasn't able to be there for you during those times," she cried softly.

"W-what do you mean, Shy?" Dash asked, confused.

"B-back in flight school, I... I was always too busy being such a coward that I d-didn't even have clue t-that you had such a miserable life. Y-you always stood up for me and protected me from those bullies, and... and I never managed to repay you for it." The pegasus continued to sob lightly. "If I had only known..."

"Hey, hey, don't beat yourself up over it, Shy," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, sure life sucked for me, but I turned out alright in the end. I overcame it all, ya know? Besides, you had problems of your own, didn't you? Your parents never gave you any love or support either. If anything, I should've been there for _you _more often."

"Oh, Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy whimpered. "You've always been so good to me. I wish I could repay you somehow."

"Shy, it's fine, really," Rainbow Dash insisted. "You've always been a really good friend to me. I mean, sure you could use a little help in the assertiveness department, but other than that I wouldn't have you any other way than you are now."

Fluttershy gave a small, sudden gasp. Rainbow Dash had the slightest feeling that her fellow pegasus hadn't heard a word she just said.

"I just realized, I didn't go to your most recent Wonderbolts tryout. None of us did," Fluttershy said. "Oh, Dash, I'm so sorry."

"Ah, that's right," Twilight came in. "We all said we'd be there, didn't we? Gosh, Dash, we're sorry." Everypony else nodded in agreement.

Aw, you guys, it's totally fine," Dash said reassuringly. "You all had your own problems to worry about. Besides, it's probably better that you guys weren't there. I didn't make it after all."

"Why didn't ya make it this time, Dash?" Applejack asked. "Did'ja choke 'r somethin'?

"Pfft, no," Dash scoffed. "I was as awesome as ever. They just... they're just way to picky, ya know? I guess saving their lives isn't good enough for them. Neither is performing the Sonic Rainboom, apparently."

"Gosh, what more could they want from you, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I dunno," Dash muttered. "A couple hundred million bits, I guess," she chuckled bitterly at that. "They'll have it soon enough, though."

"Dash, do you really feel right about doing this?" Twilight asked sincerely.

"What do you mean, Twi?" Dash replied.

"I mean, is this really how you wanted to get into the Wonderbolts; bribery? Wouldn't hard work and determination be a more satisfying way to get in?"

Dash shook her head.

"Twi, I already _know _I have what it takes to get into that group," she said confidently. "I _know _I have the skills, I just... I guess it's just not enough anymore. In Equestria today, ya gotta be loaded to get anything you want," the pegasus then let out a small sigh. "This country's goin' downhill fast."

It was quiet for a moment after that particularly heavy statement. None of them had really paid much attention to the seemingly poor state that certain areas of Equestria seemed to be in. They had been so used to the bright, cheery and peaceful Equestria that they couldn't even begin to imagine the darker, seedier side that seemed to underlie the peaceful land.

"Ah know what ya mean, Dash," Applejack mused. "Ah'm seein' a side of Equestria Ah was happier not knowin' existed."

"I think we all feel that way," Twilight added. "I mean, I always knew there was a dark side to this land. I knew there was crime and poverty, no society is perfect, after all. But... once you see it first hoof, it really... gets to you."

"Yeah, but you know what the messed up thing is?" Rainbow Dash asked. "It's starting to show more and more often in everyday life. Like, just a few weeks ago, I was flying over the school when I saw Scootaloo sitting by herself behind this bush. So I figure I'd drop in and say hi to her, give her a little thrill at getting to be with her hero, ya know? And also, I wanted to ask her what she's doing by herself.

"So I land next to her, ask her what's up, and I notice that she starts acting all nervous, like she wants me to leave or something. Now I'm like 'What the hay, Scoots? Why are ya acting all jumpy?' and she just keeps shrinking away from me. Then I notice she's hiding something under her hoof, and I ask her what it is she's hiding from me. She pretty much snaps at me and tells me to fuck off... okay, well, she didn't exactly say _that, _but she probably wanted to say it. So now I'm snapping back at her. I mean I tried to be patient, but the kids getting on my nerves, and somehow her hoof gets moved -I don't know how it happened- and I see that she was hiding a lit cigarette right there under her hoof."

Fluttershy and Rarity audibly gasped, while Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie's eyes bulged in horror.

"Yeah, I know right?" Dash continued. "So anyway, I'm like 'Where did you get that, squirt?' And she starts giving me the whole 'I was just looking at it' spiel. Then right at that moment, this little white carton fall out of this hole in her saddlebag. It was a pack of Red Stallion Menthols!"

"Oh dear," Rarity and Fluttershy murmured at the same time.

"So, the kid starts freaking out and crying and trying to get away from me. But I don't wanna let her go just yet; I wanna know what the hay's going on! So I sit her down and calmly ask her where she got 'em. She manages to calm down after a while, and she tell me she got 'em from this strange stallion while she was on her way to school. It was like, right in front of the school house. He called her over and she just walked right up to him.

"I... I just about lost it right there! I didn't say this, but in my head I was like 'Are you kidding me, Scoots? You just trotted right up to a stranger?' I almost wanted to smack the kid right then and there! She could've been snatched up, for crying out loud!"

"Did Miss Cheerilee know about this?" Twilight asked. "I mean, she was right there, wasn't she?"

Dash shook her head.

"Nah, she was distracted by something, apparently. Another student, I think. I'm tellin' ya though, I almost wanted to go up to her and give her a piece of my mind about that whole thing! She had no idea how close she came to losing one of her students that day."

"Sake's alive," Applejack muttered, shaking her head and thinking of her little sister. What if it had been _her_? Rarity had similar thoughts about her own sister as well.

"But..." Dash continued. "I managed to keep my rage in check. I pulled her close to me and I just... tried to set her straight, ya know? Tried to tell her that cigarettes weren't good for her, that they didn't make her look cool at all. Because that's what the stallion told her; that they would make her seem cooler to her friends."

"That's a common advertising technique," Twilight chimed in. "Sadly, it seems to be working for some."

"Yeah," Dash mused. "Anyway, I tell her if she needs anypony to... I dunno, just hang out with or talk to, she could always come to me. If I had any free time, I'd be more than willing to hear her out. Just... ya know; giver some guidence and all that junk." She paused for a moment and gave a small, sad sigh. "That poor kid... I don't think she's having a very good go at home. I mentioned her parents once and she seemed kinda nervous about me bringing them up. I... man, I just don't know..."

From her left side, Dash felt the comforting forehoof of Applejack on her shoulder.

"That was awful nice o' you ta do that for her, Dash," she said with a small chuckle. "Didn't know you were such a softie at heart."

"Hey!" Dash snapped at her. "Caring about another doesn't make me a softie!"

"Do you really care about her though, Dash?" Twilight asked. "I mean, it's kinda hard to tell sometimes."

"I... I..." Rainbow Dash hadn't exactly been expecting to open herself up like this. She was almost starting to regret bringing her whole incident with her number one fan up. "I... I do, actually." She finally answered, and it was the truth. "I... care about her a lot to be honest. She kinda reminds me of myself at her age; desperate to impress everypony, to show the world what she can do.

"And on top of that, all the support she's given me, always being there to cheer me on when I needed it. Sure, she can be a little obsessive sometimes but... it really means a lot to me to have her admiration. The truth is, I... I love that kid."

"D'awwww," Pinkie Pie cooed.

"I want to be there for her more often," Dash seemed more like she was talking to herself now, rather than to her friends. "I want to protect her from all the bad stuff out there, because... well, it's starting to seem like she has nopony else who _will_ look out for her. Might as well be me."

"I think you'd make a great older sister for her, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said softly. "You're really sweet sometimes."

"Heh, yeah well," Rainbow Dash pounded a hoof proudly against her chest. "Within beats a noble heart, I suppose."

"Still, I can't believe there could be a stallion like that wandering around Ponyville of all places," Rarity muttered. "You would think our own home town would be devoid of that kind of thing. It simply staggers the mind!"

"It don't surprise me, actually," Applejack stated. "Ah mean, it saddens me, but it don't surprise me. Ah mean, have ya seen what some o' these foals 'r into these days? This rap and death metal junk? Small wonder the death suicide rate's goin' up. And the fact that it's happen to them at such young ages. It honestly jus' about makes me sick. Big Mac an' Ah do what we can fer lil' Applebloom, an' ya can bet yer flank Granny Smith's been instillin' her values inta her. The values that our parents tried ta instill inta us. But, sometimes it just don't seem like enough. Ah've no idea how that filly's gonna turn out, but seein' what kinda state Equestria's fallin' into, Ah ain't particularly optimistic."

"Well, what are we supposed to do about it?" Dash asked bitterly. "I mean, I know we have the Elements of Harmony and all, but is that really gonna be enough? Will whipping them out for every little issue really solve everything? 'Cause it seems to me that if it were that simple, there wouldn't be problems like this."

"Well, they definitely wouldn't have solved our financial crisis," Twilight said bitterly. "And I _know _they wouldn't work for this whole robbery endeavor; not exactly a harmonous cause."

"Ya think anypony recognizes us on the streets?" Pinkie Pie asked sporadically. "I mean like, with all we've done, aren't we like, national celebrities or something?"

Rainbow Dash snorted loudly at that.

"Oh, please, Pinkie. If anypony thought of us like that, they'd be falling over themselves to help us, wouldn't they? We wouldn't be in this situation."

"But aren't we kinda like... Equestria's resident superheroes or something?" Pinkie said. "I mean, that's how I always think of us!"

A few soft chuckles filled the room at that statement

"It does kinda seem that way sometimes, don't it," Applejack said. "When the manure hits the fan, they usually call us in ta save the day."

"Yeah well, if they think I'm gonna be saving this craphole land anytime in the near future, they better think again," Dash muttered.

"What?" Twilight sounded more than a little taken aback. "You don't want to be hero anymore, Dash?"

"Why bother?" Dash asked. "Even with everything we've done, this place is crawling with scum. Murders and rapists and whatnot. Honestly, was Discord really that bad in comparison to what we've seen these past few days? I'm starting to think he would've been an improvement."

Twilight sighed, but not out of annoyance. In fact, she actually thought Dash had a good point.

"You know, aside from the whole turning us against each other thing, he really wasn't that horrible," she said.

"Kind of a funny guy, really," Pinkie Pie added.

"I do wonder what he would say if he could see us now," Rarity said airily.

"He'd probably want in on it," Dash said with a chuckle.

Twilight lifted her head and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Would you honestly consider letting him join us he wanted to?" She asked the pegasus.

"If he was good with a weapon... sure, why not?" Dash replied dryly. "Hay, with his abilities, this would be a snap." She suddenly got an excited look on her face. "You know what? We should totally break him out of his stone prison again and force him to work for us! He knows what we're capable of; if he tries anything funny, we threaten to lock him up again. How 'bout it, girls?"

Twilight stared at her slack-jawed. Her friends all wore similar expressions, with the exception being Fluttershy, who had finally managed to drift off to sleep.

"You're not serious, are you, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight cried.

At that, the rainbow-maned pegasus burst into laughter.

"No, I'm _not _serious!" She chortled. "I was just joking, alright? Chill out!"

Twilight groaned angrily and shook her head.

"Maybe you should leave the jokes to Pinkie Pie," she chided. "She's better with them."

"Ah, whatever," Dash groaned. Was she just not allowed to be funny or something? Jeez... "Anyway, as I was saying earlier; I'm done playing hero for this stupid country. From now on, I'm looking out for myself, you girls, and Scootaloo... and maybe Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, just as favors to you two." She gestured to Applejack and Rarity.

"Pfft, oh right, Dash, like Ah'd really trust ya with mah sisters life," Applejack said sarcastically.

Normally, Dash would've ripped into her for that, but in all honesty, she was starting to feel pretty tired. This whole day had really drained her out more that she had originally thought. On top of that, her sore wing was starting to feel a little better, so her mood was improving slightly.

"Well, I'll tell ya this much; I'd do a better job looking out for them than Celestia has looking out for this whole damn country," she said coldly. "I mean, is she like, even remotely aware of all bad things happening in this world. 'Cause it doesn't seem like it to me. Otherwise, I think she would've done something about it by now, or maybe even never have allowed it to get this way in the first place."

Twilight groaned.

"Dash, would you please drop the Celestia bashing?" She begged. "I'm really getting sick of it. I'm not happy with her right now either, but... c'mon, you really think she's totally oblivious to the issues of this land? I'm sure she does what she can."

"Yes, well, she certainly didn't hesitate to jump in and help _us _with our monetary issues now didn't she, darling?" Rarity said with bitter sarcasm.

"Yeah, exactly!" Dash agreed. "I know we've already been over this, but how could she up and abandon us like this? I mean, unless she's too 'busy' trying to bring Equestria out of it's misery."

"What did she even hafta say 'bout our whole crisis, Twi?" Applejack asked. "Ya sent her a letter 'bout it, didn't ya? Did she ever respond?"

Twilight took a moment to think about it. Yes, Celestia had in fact sent a reply, and it was not at all what Twilight had wanted to hear. No matter how much she had tried to make it seem like she didn't want the Sun Goddess' interference, deep down... that wasn't the case. She had badly wanted Celestia to offer some kind of aid, or at least some helpful suggestions on how to make things better. Instead, she and her friends had been left to fend for themselves, as if this were some kind of cruel test for them; an ultimate challenge of sorts, to see how well they could do on their own in a situation they had never before encoutered.

"No, AJ," Twilight lied. "She never responded." Even if it was a lie in the truest sense of the word, it still felt sorta like the truth. After all, what she had said in her letter pretty much equated to receiving no response at all.

"Ah... Ah don't believe it..." Applejack said quietly. "We really are on our own fer this one."

Twilight sighed heavily.

"Looks like it..." she muttered.

"Wait a minute!" Pinkie Pie suddenly chirped. "What if this is like a test or something?" Twilight's eyes widened at hearing that. Could that pink pony read minds or something? "What if she somehow, like, I dunno... dropped all icky bad stuff on us to see how we would react to it?"

Rainbow Dash snorted loudly. She placed a forehoof over her mouth to stifle the chuckles.

"Pinkie, even _I _think that's a ridiculous idea," she laughed.

"For once, I agree with Rainbow Dash," Twilight added. "I mean, Celestia can be a bit mysterious sometimes -not as much as Luna- but I honestly don't think she would go that far out of her way in making life hard for us just to prove a point."

At that moment, almost comical images of Celestia sneaking around Ponyville filled Twilights mind. She pictured Celestia pouring a gallon of alcohol down some poor stallions gullet and sending him and his cart crashing into the library. She pictured her spreading slanderous rumors about Rarity's boutique while wearing a trechcoat and sunglasses, convincing the Wonderbolts not to take Rainbow Dash on their team for another year, tampering with Pinkie Pie's wedding cake in some way, making Fluttershy's Angle Bunny sick by secretly over-feeding him while she was out, and quite possibly the most ludicrous of all; Celestia, wearing a fully black attire of some kind, sneaking through Sweet Apple Acres in the middle of the night with a canister of gasoline and a lighter. It was almost enough to make Twilight burst out laughing.

"Hmm, well, it was just a thought," Pinkie said after a while. "Anywho, I'm gettin' kind sleepy now. I think I'll just pass out now. Nighty Night! Don't let the parasprites bite!" And just like that, the pink pony's eyes snapped shut, and she was soon snoring lightly.

"You know what?" Rainbow Dash began. "I'm think I'm ready to hit the hay myself. All this Equestria hating is starting to wear me out. Besides, I didn't come on this trip just to bitch and whine about the problems of this land. I'm here to fix my _own _problems, and that's all."

Admittedly, Twilight was grateful to hear that. Not only was she starting to get tired herself, but she really wasn't liking where this whole conversation was going. She almost had this crazy thought in her head that Celestia could hear them... or that maybe she was watching them. That was an absurd notion, of course; if Celsetia had been watching them this whole time, she probably would've intervened by now... wouldn't she?

"What exactly do ya got planned fer us tamorrow, Twi?" Applejack asked with a yawn.

"Tomorrow," Twilight began. "We start practicing with those new toys of ours. We also need to go through the basics of crowd control and movement. We're pretty much going to be staying here for the whole day... if that's any comfort to you all."

Rarity gave a slightly contented sigh. It was _more _than okay for her to be staying put tomorrow.

"So, it's going to be something like a rehearsal tomorrow?" She asked.

"That's about right," Twilight replied.

"Mmh, lovely," Rarity moaned. Her eyes slowly slid closed, and her breathing became more relaxed.

"Well, g'night, ya'll," Applejack murmured as she snuggled into a comfortable position.

"Heh heh, sweet dreams," Rainbow Dash said in an almost sinister tone as she let herself slip into unconsciousness.

"Tch, yeah right," Twilight muttered bitterly, mostly to herself, as she closed her own eyes.

Her last thoughts before drifting into dreamland were of Pinkie's crazy theory of Celestia testing them. Maybe it was because she was a bit more disoriented by drowsiness, but for some reason it didn't seem as ridiculous a notion as it had earlier.

If in fact this was some kind of test, Twilight had a sinking feeling that she and her friends were so far failing it... badly.

* * *

_**Ya know, I think this may have been my favorite chapter to write so far. I dunno why, though. I particularly enjoyed writing Rainbow Dash's little monologue about Scootaloo (which is actually the plot of my other story, in case you haven't checked that one out). I want to write more about those two sometime in the near future. I have a few ideas, but I want to get this story done first. Anyway, as usual; thanks for reading and reviewing!**_


	15. Stage Three: Roleplaying

**Chapter Fifteen:**

**Stage Three: Roleplaying**

Rainbow Dash breathed in deeply, composing herself as best she could. Through the thickness of the ski mask she was wearing, she could barely make out the forms of her friends all standing sporadically around her, basically just looking nonchalant. Though they weren't going to be wearing the masks when they entered the bank, Twilight waned them to get used to the feeling of them. That meant wearing them as often as possible. Dash was currently hovering a few feet in the air, her saddle bag hung by her flank. Within it lay her Ak-47, at that moment unloaded, along with everypony else's weapon of choice. She had removed the C4 from her bag earlier that morning and placed off in one of the far corners of the warehouse, well out of their way.

_Alright then, time to show these girls how The Dash intimidates! _The pegasus thought to herself. In truth, she had been looking forward to this moment all of the night before; a chance for her to show off just what a natural she would be at this whole robbery thing. When she felt ready, the pegasus began to hover slowly in the general direction of a certain orange earth pony, a devious grin on her face. Applejack, whose current role along with Pinkie Pie's in this little improv session had been a bank security guard. Rainbow Dash could've gone up to either of them... and she chose Applejack. This development prompted a massive eyeroll from the earth pony.

"Oh, o'course she chooses to go after me," she groaned.

"Stay in character, AJ," Twilight said to her from across the room. The unicorn was currently playing the role of a humble customer alongside Fluttershy, who was practically trembling with nervousness. She knew eventually it would be her turn to play the robber, and that she was going to have to really show a side of herself that she never wanted to show again. Even if it was just pretend, it still bothered her greatly; that just wasn't the kind of pony she was.

Still, she had an animal back home who was counting on her to go through with this, and she couldn't let him down. Besides, Rainbow Dash had said she would give her a helping hoof if need be, so maybe in the end, she could go through with this. For now, she would just watch her fellow pegasus and see how she would take care of things. She felt slightly more comfortable having Rarity standing next to her, though the ivory unicorn seemed slightly perturbed by the fact that she didn't know whether she was supposed to be representing bank staff or customers; they had pretty much left it up to her.

Rainbow Dash had just managed to make her way up to Applejack. She had definitely looked unsteady as she hovered towards her, no doubt due to the mask covering her face. Twilight had insisted that she didn't need to wear the mask for this part since, as she had mentioned yesterday, they weren't going to be entering the bank wearing them. But Dash had made a good point of wanting to get used to the feeling of having one cover her face. It would serve as a good way to prepare themselves for when the actual robbery occurred. Twilight had to hand it to Rainbow Dash; she could be pretty intelligent when she wanted to be.

Dash hovered in front of her earth pony friend, trying to appear as casual as possible, or at least as casual as a pony with a black ski mask covering her face would possibly allow. Applejack had to fight the urge to make a crack about Dash making a wrong turn at Trottingham, and that the nearest mountain range was a couple hundred miles in the opposite direction.

Dash attempted to give some kind of nonchalant whistle, but the ski mask made it too difficult to get her lips pursed. Instead, she simply cracked her neck and continued to hover, feeling admittedly kinda foalish, like she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing. Luckily, Applejack seemed to be just as uncomfortable with the situation as Dash did. It made more sense for her to be on edge, though, considering she was just about to be on the receiving end of some "Dash Style" brutality.

"Power goes out in five..." Twilight said suddenly. Dash and AJ simultaneously tensed up. "Four... three... two... one... now!"

As quick as she could, Dash plunged her hooves into her saddlebag and wrapped them around the cold steel of her rifle.

"What sorcery is this!" Pinkie Pie cried out as she gazed upwards at what would soon be the burned out lights of the bank.

Rainbow Dash just about burst out laughing a Pinkie's random exclamation, causing her to fumble with her weapon a bit as she pulled it out.

_Dammit, Pinkie, stop making me laugh! _The pegasus thought to herself.

Finally pulling the weapon free, Dash, in one swift move, swiped the butt of it against Applejack's muzzle. Though she hadn't intended to actually hit the earth pony, it had been mildly satisfying to see her rival double over and clutch her face in pain.

"OW!" Applejack cried. "Consarnit, Dash, ya really hit me there!"

"Shut the fuck up, scumbag! Get down on the floor now!" Dash roared, aiming the rifle right at her friends head. "Put your hooves behind your head and keep 'em there!"

Applejack rolled her eyes. As much as she wanted to give her friend a little smack across the face, she had to remind herself that they were role-playing, and if she had been in a situation where a fully loaded weapon was being aimed right at her head, she would most definitely do whatever the gun-pony ordered her to do. She lowered herself to the floor and placed her hooves behind her head, as instructed.

Dash smirked at the image of her rival throwing herself on the floor in front of her, almost as if she was bowing to her awesomeness. Unfortunately, she could only enjoy it for a short while; she had others to focus on now. Turning her attention to the others, she saw that Fluttershy had already thrown herself onto the ground. She was trembling terribly. Small whimpers could be heard emanating from her. Dash chose to ignore the terrified pegasus and trained her weapon on the others.

"ALL OF YOU ON THE FUCKING GROUND NOW!" She roared, her voice slightly muffled, yet still discernible enough. "HOOVES OVER YOUR HEADS! NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS!" The look her eyes was almost genuinely psychotic, and more than a little intimidating, even though nopony could see it through her mask.

Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie all did as instructed. Pinkie was smiling quite excitedly, while Twilight and Rarity looked rather bored. Rainbow Dash backed up a bit, so she had all five mares in her view. She smiled proudly at her handiwork; this was gonna be a breeze.

"Staff and security, up against that wall!" She barked, pointing her rifle to the right at the nearby warehouse wall. "Everypony else, that wall!" She pointed her gun to the left wall. "MOVE!"

Twilight and Fluttershy slowly moved to the right while Applejack and Pinkie Pie moved to the left, Applejack still rubbing her sore muzzle and muttering profanities under her breath. Rarity, on the other hoof, remained on the ground, looking left and right, confusion etched on her face.

"Um..." she raised her hoof nervously. "I apologize, dears, but am I staff or customer? I seem to have forgotten."

Rainbow Dash just gave her a deadpanned expression, then aimed the rifle at her.

"Eheheheheheh!" She did her best machine gun impression, shaking the rifle violently as she did. "You're dead, Rare."

Rarity gave Dash an incredulous look.

"Now wait just one instant, Rainbow Dash!" She scolded. "Would you really resort to murder so quickly? Should you not give me a warning first?"

"Dash, I have to agree with Rarity here," Twilight came in, standing back up and stepping away from the wall. "If somepony gives you any-"

"Ehehehehehehe!" Dash repeated, this time aiming the rifle at Twilight. "Now you're dead, Twi. Man, I'm on a rampage!"

"Okay, time out!" Twilight said sternly, making the gesture with her hooves. "Dash, we don't want to kill anypony, remember?"

"Yeah, I know," Dash replied, rubbing the back of her neck with her hoof awkwardly. "But if somepony acts up, what are we supposed to do?"

"Something significantly less barbaric then spraying them with bullets, I would say!" Rarity chided.

"She's right, Dash," Twilight said. "Look, there's a difference between the ponies we've 'taking care of' these past few days and the ponies that are going to be occupying that bank."

"Yeah, I know, Twi," Dash cut before the egghead could go into one of her long lectures. "I know these are innocent civilians we're dealing with, and none of them deserve to die. But... we're gonna have to keep them in line somehow. Chances are one of them might decide to play the hero and give us trouble."

"True..." Twilight pondered this for a moment. "Well, maybe a smack across the face would be sufficient. Perhaps a blow to the gut; that would definitely put keep somepony down."

"Will it be enough, though?" Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think so," Twilight answered, though she sounded a bit unsure, herself. "I mean, when ponies see their loved ones in jeopardy, they're not likely to do anything stupid." Twilight thought about it a little while longer. Truthfully, she knew that when in a life-threatening situation, ponies would always look for the smallest window of opportunity to turn things to their advantage. It was becoming disturbingly clear that more brutal methods may have to be turned to if things got too out of hoof.

"Maybe..." Twilight continued slowly. "If we really _really _had to... a bullet in a leg or two might prove to be a severe enough deterrent for would-be heroes."

"Oh my word, Twilight," Rarity moaned, placing a hoof to her forehead and rubbing it. "I can't believe we're talking about something like this so... casually."

"Yeah, yeah, I know it's weird. I think we've all come to terms with that by now," Twilight snapped, a bit irritably. "But we need to get rid of these feelings of hesitation and just get the job done. And like I said, we only need to resort to shooting out legs if we _really _have. As long as the ponies in that bank have at least half a brain, I don't think we'll have to resort to that."

With a sigh, Rarity lowered her head and nodded.

"Still feels weird, though, " she muttered under her breath.

"Alright then," Twilight continued, turning to the cyan pegasus. "Dash, I think you should try running this again. You did a pretty good job on your first run; you were quick, intimidating, and you moved well. But the whole random shooting thing really set you back some."

"Twi, I wasn't really gonna shoot anypony," Dash said with a roll of her eyes. "It's just... having this rifle has really brought out the badass in me! Man, I can't wait 'til we start practicing with these things!"

Twilight sighed in annoyance and shook her head.

"Dash, you do realize that if everything goes the way we want it to, we may not end up firing a single shot?"

"Uhhh, yeah, I knew that," Dash answered, failing to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"In fact," Twilight continued. "The only thing that I know _for sure _we'll be using is the C4 over there." She pointed a hoof at the pile of explosives in the corner of the warehouse.

"Uh, do we even no how ta handle that stuff properly ta begin with?" Applejack asked.

"I've read enough about that I think I should know what to do," Twilight answered confidently.

"And unless those first-person shooters I've played were bullshit, I should know how they work as well," Dash added.

Applejack just shrugged in acceptance; it was good enough for her. Along with the others, she returned to her original position, shooting Rainbow Dash a dirty look.

"If ya'll really hit me again, Ah'm buckin' ya through the Celestia damned wall," she muttered dangerously to her.

Dash just rolled her eyes. She knew that when the farm pony had her turn, she was gonna absolutely destroy her.

_I'd love to see you try, Crapplejack. _

"Just do what you did last time, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said to her as they got into position. "Only this time, leave out the shooting." She turned to her fellow unicorn. "And Rarity? We'll just say you're a... teller or something. Not that it really matters, it's not like we have do any actual acting. We just need Dash to have an idea of who we are so she knows which wall to send us to."

"Very well then," Rarity said primly. "As long as I don't have to be on the receiving end of one of dear Rainbow Dash's little violent blows."

"Yeah, about that Dash," Twilight said. "You don't need to really hit us. Just making the motion will do."

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha," Dash grumbled. "You hear that, AJ? No hitting when it's your turn."

The farm pony gave her a darkly disturbing look, as if she honestly didn't care much for that new rule. Dash shivered a bit internally, but refused to let it show. She just smirked confidently (though it was impossible to see through her mask) and resumed her position.

This time, it could not have gone by more smoothly. Rainbow Dash had everypony under control in a matter of seconds. Her voice was booming and intense, like the voice of a truly hardened criminal. Nopony would dare try to stand up to her with how intimidating she looked and how serious she sounded when she said would blow the brains out of anypony who tried anything stupid. The pegasus was a born robber, plain and simple. When she was done, the others couldn't help but clop their hooves in admiration of their friend, Pinkie Pie whooping and hollering as well.

"Wooo! You rock, Dashie!" She cheered.

"Bravo, darling!" Rarity applauded elegantly.

Even Applejack seemed impressed by her rivals work, giving her an encouraging nod. She was going to have one hay of a time topping that.

Rainbow Dash took an almost graceful bow and set her weapon back in her saddlebag.

"Aw, this is gonna be fun!" She cried, pumping a hoof in the air. She then added quietly, "I should've done this years ago."

"Fantastic job, Dash," Twilight congratulated her friend. "I think you've got this down perfectly."

"What can I say? Perfection's kinda my thing," Dash bragged. Internally, she kicked herself a bit for that statement, remembering that not too long ago she had admitted to a distraught Scootaloo that she wasn't, in fact, perfect.

"Well then," Twilight continued. "Who wants to go next?"

"I do! I do! Me me me!" Pinkie Pie bounced up and down, raising a hoof in the air.

"Oh, this oughta be good!" Rainbow Dash laughed. "Pinkie's gonna be a beast at this!"

Pinkie Pie gave a very convincing animatistic growl, crouching low on all fours and snapping viciously at the others.

"Okay okay, Pinkie, let's see what you've got," Twilight interjected. "And... please try to keep the ear biting in check." She felt kinda stupid for throwing that comment in. Surely the mask would prevent that.

Pinkie giggled joyously and bounded into position. She placed her ski mask over her head and checked her bag to make sure everything she needed was in there. The sheer weight of the M60, along with her other "little surprise" nearly caused her to topple, but she barely managed to stay upright. It had a feeling it was going to be more difficult than she had thought it would at first; standing on her hind legs while carrying a heavy machine gun and having her breathing and vision obscured by a thick ski mask. She took a few moments to compose herself before starting, breathing deeply and getting in the proper mind-set.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had taken Pinkie's place as the other supposed security guard, still wearing her ski mask. Twilight cocked an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"Dash, you do realize that you don't need to wear the mask anymore, right?" She asked.

"I know," Dash answered matter of factly. "But I want to get used to the feeling of it. Like you wanted us to, remember? I might actually keep it on for the rest of the day... maybe even tomorrow."

"Um, well actually I was thinking that if things go smoothly enough today, we'll be ready to actually pull off the heist tomorrow," Twilight said with slight hesitation. She wasn't exactly sure if they were ready to proceed with things so quickly. She had originally thought they would need to take at least a week to prepare. But things had been progressing so much faster than what was originally envisioned, and if the others were anywhere near as good at intimidation and gun-play as Rainbow Dash was... there was no reason why tomorrow couldn't be the day...

"Tomorrow?" Rarity gaped. "Are quite sure we'll be ready? It seems to me we still have much to do."

"Not really," Twilight said. "We've got the blueprints, the weapons, the explosives, we're learning movement and intimidation at an impressive rate... tomorrow's looking pretty good."

Rarity exhaled sharply. Somehow, she felt she wasn't going to be quite as impressive as Rainbow Dash was when it came to keeping everypony in line.

"Ready, Pinkie?" Twilight asked the bounding pink pony.

"Yep yep!" Pinkie replied, her voice slightly muffled by the mask.

"Then show us what you've got," Twilight settled herself into position.

To Pinkie's credit, she actually managed to calm herself down quite a bit and appear to be nothing more than some unassuming customer as she slowly trotted aimlessly towards Applejack ("Oh fer Pete's sake! Ya'll have it in fer me 'r somethin'?"), the ski mask being the only oddity about her. Once again, Twilight gave the countdown to darkness.

"Power goes out in five... four... three... two... one... now!"

In one swift move, Pinkie Pie yanked her massive M60 out of her saddlebag and reared back onto her hind legs. She made to drive the front of it into Applejack, but stopped it mere millimeters before making contact. Applejack, grateful that the party pony had managed to show some restraint, made a faint "oof!" and fell to the ground in a heap. Pinkie Pie quickly flipped around to the others. She pointed her gun towards the ceiling and made an "ehehehe!" noise as she pretended to fire some warning shots.

"Alright, you fucky ducks! This is a robbery!" She pretended to fire a few more shots into the air. "Anypony who does anything stupid get a... a lead cupcake!" Pinkie internally praised herself for coming up with such a clever line. She _had _to make sure she remembered to use it during the actual robbery.

Twilight and the others seemed genuinely frightened by the very legitimate sounding psychotic rage in the normally happy pink pony's voice; she had very successfully disappeared into her role. As she forced them into their respective walls, Rainbow Dash was suddenly hit by a spark of inspiration; it was true that when in a life threatening situation, ponies wouldn't likely do anything stupid... unless they somehow spotted an opportunity to turn the tables. Dash realized that if she or any of her friends let their guard down, even for a second, a hostage would use it to his or her advantage and pull something. Dash knew this because... well, it was what _she _would do if she were in that situation.

Deciding that this would be a good time to test that theory out, the pegasus, while doing what Pinkie Pie demanded, kept her eyes open for any weakness the pink pony might show. Even through the distortion of her mask, she could see that Pinkie Pie definitely had her hooves full keeping her weapon trained on everypony. Of course, this wouldn't be as big an issue during the actual heist; all six of them would have their eyes on everything and everypony. But still, anything could happen; Twilight had made that clear very early on, and Dash wanted to illustrate that fact right there and then.

As luck would have it, a chance came when Fluttershy, who was still trembling wildly with fear, tripped and fell to the floor on her way to the wall. Pinkie Pie, still very much in character, rounded on the poor pegasus, screaming at her to get up and keep moving while firing even more invisible rounds into the air. It was almost too cruel to witness, but they knew they had to stay in character no matter what.

With Pinkie Pie's full attention on Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash made her move, flinging herself at the earth pony. Pinkie Pie had been successfully caught off guard, and with a surprised squeak, she collapsed to the floor. Rainbow Dash pinned her down with all her strength, not wanting to hold back one bit; she had to behave as accurately as she knew a hostage would in that situation.

"Wow, Dashie. I, um... don't think this was part of the plan!" Pinkie cried. She was attepting to use her rifle to push the pegasus off of her, but Dash was putting all her weight on the pink pony, pressing the rifle back into her. Being far stronger than her earth pony friend, it was virtually impossible for Pinkie to push her way out of this.

"Dash, what are you doing?" Twilight asked, though she didn't sound as shocked as Dash had thought she would've been.

"She took her attention off me," Dash answered, groaning as she struggled with Pinkie. "The second any of us make that mistake, they're gonna do something just like this. Even if it's for a second. We gotta... hrgh! We gotta be prepared for something like this." She leaned in closer to the party pony. "How'r ya gonna get outta this, Pinks?"

"I... I gragh!" Pinkie tried to push back as hard as she could, but to no avail. "Well, you girls would help me, right?"

"What? Do you really expect them to turn their backs to the other hostages and give them a chance to fight back?" Dash asked. "You gotta get outta this on your own, Pinks. Now c'mon! Fight back!"

Twilight watched the pair with a sense of renewed admiration for Rainbow Dash. She had told herself a few times that the hostages might try something if they had the chance to, yet she hadn't really gotten around bringing that particular problem up. Much to her embarrassment, the lavender unicorn had completely forgotten upon waking up that morning.

Seeing that Rainbow Dash had the incentive to bring this issue to light in her own way really showed how seriously the pegasus was taking this whole thing; it was nice to see that she wasn't the only one, because the way her friends acted sometimes, it almost felt as if they really didn't understand the severity of the situation.

The others (with the exception of Fluttershy, whose face was buried in her hooves again) watched intently to see how the situation would play out. Applejack didn't appear all that phased; she was strong enough to handle anypony, particularly Rainbow Dash; the pegasus was nowhere near as tough as she thought she was. Rarity, on the other hoof, seemed quite taken aback at this brutal display. She wasn't exactly much of a 'scrapper' so to speak. Though she did pride herself on having a rather effective right hook that came in handy for warding off drunken stallions who had taken a fancy to her at parties from time to time.

Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was currently staring up into the blank face of her assailant. That ski mask allowed her to project any face she wanted onto it... and right now, a very familiar and _very _unwelcome image had appeared on it; a face she had grown to fear after years of living under it's dread-filled glower, a ghostie she couldn't giggle away. And fact that she was currently in a position that she so often found herself in when she was living with that face... her reaction was all the more powerful.

In a series of swift, almost operatic movements, Pinkie Pie drove her rear leg into Dash's gut, eliciting a pained groan from the pegasus. In that moment of weakness, Dash eased up, and that was all it took for Pinkie to force the butt of her weapon right across that much hated face (_No! No, I don't hate him! I just..._).

The blow was strong enough to knock Rainbow Dash off her. Pinkie quickly rose to her rear hooves again and trained her weapon on the pegasus, who was now clutching her mouth. Her bottom lip had been split and was bleeding quite freely. Droplets of blood seeped through the black ski mask, staining it red. She practically felt Pinkie Pie bring her face right down next to her ear.

"Party's over, daddy," she whispered in a chilling tone.

Dash, still clutching her sore mouth, raised an eyebrow (which nopony could see) and turned to face her friend.

"What?" She sounded quite taken aback.

"Dashie," Pinkie replied quickly. "I... I said 'party's over, Dashie."

Even through their ski masks, Pinkie could see the skepticism in Dash's eyes; she had clearly heard her right the first time. Luckily, before any further unpleasantness could ensue, Twilight stepped in.

"Well done, Pinkie Pie! I think you mastered that situation beasutifully!"

"Ya really hit me hard, though," Dash muttered under her breath. She opted not to pull her mask off to tend to her wound. It would heal in time. she could tough it out.

Pinkie Pie pulled her own mask off, smiling as brightly as ever. It was as if she had completely forgotten what had just gone through her mind moments ago.

"Thanks, Twilight! I feel so ready for this!" She squealed with joy.

"Alright then," Twilight continued with a confident smile. Her friends were surprising her more and more at every turn. "Who wants to go next?"

* * *

As the day wore on, Twilight continued to watch with amazement as her friends transformed into ruthless, hardened criminals before her eyes. Applejack had been particularly impressive with her intimidation. The farm pony definitely had a way with words, and some of her threats had genuinely made Twilights stomach turn. Plus, she had managed to get a bit of revenge on Rainbow Dash. When the pegasus had refused to do as ordered ("Just to shake things up a bit!" Applejack had sent her flying into the appropriate wall, via a nice, swift buck with her hind legs.

Rainbow Dash was taking quite a beating that afternoon. But it didn't bother her in slightest; she could handle a little pain. Besides, she was the one who was pretty much bringing this violence upon herself with her unpredictable actions. It was just her way of keeping her friends on edge.

"Anything could happen..." They were reminded constantly.

Then came Rarity, who... was definitely something else. After complaining that the mask would ruin her already badly frazzled mane, everypony prepared themselves for impending annoyance at the ivory unicorn. But what was expected to be a laughably bad, turned out to be quite a show. While significantly more prim and refined compared to Dash and AJ, the fashionista proved to be quite intense in her insistence that eveypony do what she ordered them to do. She didn't even need to resort to the vulgar language the others had use to show what a loose cannon she could be if she was pushed enough. She made it sound as if the calm elegance in her voice belied a true psychopath. It was like a really elegant and well-mannered pony had just reared up onto her hind legs to show a bomb strapped to her chest. If anypony did anything stupid, the bomb would detonate, and they would all pay for one pony's mistake. Even if she didn't appear as threatening on the outside, there was that undeniable sense that one false move would be the "worst possible thing" a pony could do.

Twilight knew she, herself didn't need to have a turn. She would be busy with cutting the power while her friends were taking care of everything. When she got down to them from the roof, everything was expected to be under control. She already had a little speech planned for the hostages to keep them in line and assure them that they would be fine if they just played by their rules.

That left one pony left to show off her stuff... and the shy young pegasus looked just about ready to faint.

"I... I don't think I can do this..." she whimpered silently.

"You have to, Fluttershy," Twilight encouraged. "You've come this far; you can't stop now."

"B-but... but..." the poor thing sounded on the verge of tears.

"Twilight?" Rarity stepped in. "Perhaps we should just let her sit this out. She's clearly scared to death of this whole thing. Maybe she could just wait outside for us to get the job done and help us haul everything back when it's over?"

Fluttershy managed a small smile through her now tear-streaked face. It was nice to know she always had Rarity in her corner; the fashionista was always so protective of her.

"Rarity, no," Twilight sighed with a shake of her head. "We need _everypony _available to help us with this. We need her to help keep the crowd under control while one of you, along with myself, get the safe open. Having four of you watching our backs instead of three will really put me at ease."

"But, darling, we've all shown significant skill at intimidation," Rarity pleaded. "Don't you think that will be enough?"

"Rarity," Rainbow Dash now stepped up. She had decided to finally remove her mask; the dried up blood on it was starting to annoy her. Plus she felt comfortable enough with it. "You really need to stop babying her. If she really wants to save her bunny, she has to go through with this." She then turned to her fellow pegasus, giving her a slightly scathing look. "Or do you not care enough about Angel to save him?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded. Nopony insulted her friend like that!

"Well does she?" Dash shot back at her. "'Cause it sure doesn't look like it to me!"

Fluttershy stammered incoherently for a few moment, fresh tears staining her cheeks.

"I...I do care about my Angel Bunny," she sniffled. "I... I just..."

"You just what?" Dash pressed. "Can't step up when it really matters?"

"Now, Rainbow Dash, you know that ain't true," Applejack came in. "You've seen fer yerself that Fluttershy can definitely be strong in times o' need."

"Well, now seems like a pretty desperate time of need," Dash replied. "And she sure isn't acting strong."

"Well badgering and insulting her isn't going to make things any better!"

"I'm trying to toughen her up, for crying out loud! Somepony's gotta do it!"

"Well the way you're going about it is all wrong!"

"You have a better idea? 'Cause I'd love to hear it!"

"Would you just-"

"Um, I'll do it..."

The arguing stopped abruptly as the timed, squeaky voice of the shy pegasus drew their attention.

"I'll... give it a try," Fluttershy said in a voice just a above a whisper. "If... everypony really wants me to."

Twilight managed a small, comforting smile at the shy pegasus.

"Be strong, Fluttershy. We'll help you out. You're not alone in this."

"If you're sure, darling." Rarity frowned.

"You can do it, Flutters!" Pinkie Pie chimed in. "Pinkie believes in you!"

"Prove me wrong, Shy. Prove me wrong," Dash said. She wasn't about to go easy on her friend, but it was for her own good.

"Okay then," Fluttershy cooed. "What should I do first."

"We'll get into position," Twilight told her. "Then I want you to put your mask on."

Fluttershy nodded. As the others returned to the positions they had taken earlier, she reached into her saddle bag and pulled her black ski mask out. She stretched it over her head, wincing as the fabric pulled on her mane.

Twilight watched as she prepared herself. The minute the pegasus had her mask on properly, she began to tremble and whimper slightly.

"You okay, Shy?" Twilight asked with concern.

"It's d-dark with t-this thing on m-my head," Fluttershy whimpered. "I-I'm sc-scared of the dark."

"It's just a mask, sweetheart," Rarity said soothingly. "The world around you is perfectly bright."

Fluttershy managed to calm herself a bit a Rarity's words, but the pegasus was still absolutely dreading the next few minutes, knowing full well that she would have to once again show the dark, violent, unpredictable side of herself that she so desperately never wanted to show again. And the fact that she would have to unleash it on the only ponies in Equestria she actually _loved _made her all the more terrified. She most definitely didn't want to resort to using her stare on them, which wouldn't have been possible anyway with the mask covering her eyes. she had been so ashamed of what she had previously used it for that she wasn't sure she ever wanted to use it again.

"We're ready when you are," Twilight said ominously.

Fluttershy gave a quick nod and steeled herself. She lifted off the ground and hovered in place. She then took one quick look into her bag; her silenced MP5 lay there, so sleek and shiny. It was almost... beautiful, in a morbid sense.

"Alright," Twilight announced. "Power goes out in five... four... three... two... one... Now!"

Fluttershy nearly stumbled through the air as she attempted to pull her weapon out, causing Rainbow Dash to shake her head; this wasn't gonna be pretty...

"Um, excuse me, everypony," Fluttershy announced quietly as she struggled to hole her weapon properly. "Um, would it be too much trouble for you all to go stand by the wall over there for a few minutes?" The others stared blankly at her. "Um, if you don't mind... that is..."

Twilight and her friends just stared at each other. As much as they felt sorry for Fluttershy, and as badly as they wanted to do what she asked, there was just no way they could be intimidated by her when she treated them as kindly as this. They remained standing where they were, and they could see that the she pegasus was beginning to panic.

"Um, uh..." she racked her mind desperately to think of something she could do to impress them. Then she remembered what Pinkie Pie had done by pretending to fire some shots into the air. Maybe that would work. She aimed her rifle upwards and made a rather unconvincing "bang bang" sound. Even though her rifle was silenced, she felt it would still have some kind of effect.

Twilight smiled a bit at that; it was definitely and improvement. She, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie all made for their respective walls... but Rainbow Dash remained stationary, smirking nastily at Fluttershy.

"Um," Fluttershy mumbled as she hesitently approach her fellow pegasus. "You're, uh... not moving."

"Nope!" Dash stated bluntly. She wasn't letting her friend off that easily. This was all for her own good.

"Well... I, uh..." Fluttershy stuttered. She had actually been quite pleased with herself a moment ago when she got the others to move, but Rainbow Dash had really put a damper on her mood again. "I... really must insist..."

"Oh, well since ya put that way, um... nope!" Dash snarked.

"P-please?" Fluttershy whimpered, close to tears again.

"Say pretty please," Dash taunted.

"Pr-pretty please?"

"Say it again."

"Pretty please?"

"Beg me."

"W-what?"

"Get on your knees and beg me to go to the wall."

Fluttershy felt something erupting in the pit of her stomach. It was that feeling of frustration and rage that so rarely made its way out of her. When it did, though, it could get very ugly, and Fluttershy wasn't sure she was ready for it to come to that yet. Still, she felt she could afford to let a little of vent now.

"N-no!" She said in a slightly louder tone. "I... told you to go to the wall! Now, d-do as I say!"

Dash smile a bit. This was definitely an improvement... but it still wasn't enough. She had to push her friend further.

"Maybe I don't feel like it," she replied snarkily. She could barely make out the frustration beginning to dawn on Fluttershy's face through the mask.

"Well... I want you to!"

"Well I'm not gonna," Dash gave Fluttershy a light push with her forehoof. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I... I..." Fluttershy stuttered for a moment, then sighed sadly. "I don't know..."

Dash groaned and leaned in closer to her friend.

"C'mon, Shy, kick my ass!" She whispered through gritted teeth. "Insult me! Show me who's boss! Call me a bad name! Anything!"

"Uh.. I, um," Fluttershy clearly wanted to unleash herself on the pegasus, but was just struggling with the proper way to do it.

"Hit me with the worst insult you can think of!" Dash encouraged. "What's the worst name you have for me?"

Fluttershy struggled for a few seconds more as she racked her brain for the worst words she could think of. She had heard plenty of the them being spouted over the past few days, a majority courtesy of the pegasus in front of her. Eventually, she sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"Get up against the wall right now, you... you..." Fluttershy stammered. Dash leaned in closer, anxious to hear what her timid young friend was capable of. "You... doo doo head!" Dash's face fell. "Um, if you don't mind me calling you that."

"That's it, I give up," Dash announced throwing her hooves up in defeat. "You're hopeless."

"Now, Rainbow Dash, she's doing her best," Rarity came to the defense of her friend.

"No she's not!" Dash spat. "She's too afraid to do her best! If she's not going to toughen up and go through with this properly, then we would've been better off leaving her behind! Let her wallow her sadness with her stupid rabbit!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded. "There's no call for that!"

"She's a fucking coward, Twi! No doubt about it!"

"D-don't call me that..." Fluttershy whimpered, a tinge of anger in her voice.

"Oh whatever!" Dash hissed at her. "What are gonna do about it? Huh? Cry on me?" She put her hooves up to her face and pretended to tremble in terror. "Oh no! Fluttershy called me a doo doo head! Whatever shall I do? I'm ever so terrified!"

"Sh-shut up!" Fluttershy said a little louder, her teeth clenched in rage.

"Make me, you wimp!" Dash hissed. She gave Fluttershy a violent push, sending her stumbling back. "Make me! MAKE ME!" She pushed her again and again, and Fluttershy just continued to take it, though the heavy breathing emanating from behind her mask indicated the rage that was building, though Dash couldn't seem to hear it.

"I am going to murder her!" Rarity said venomously as she glared at Rainbow Dash. "Nopony does that to my Fluttershy! I don't care what the situation is!"

"Just... let it play out for a second," Twilight said, though she sounded very uneasy.

Applejack was watching with a scathing frown on her face. She knew Rainbow Dash could be a real bitch at times, but this was more than she could bear. especially when sweet lil' Flutters was at the receiving end. Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was watching the two with rapt attention. She had somehow materialized a bag of popcorn from out of nowhere and was munching it vigorously.

"Wimp! Coward!" Dash just about had Fluttershy backed into a corner.

"N-No, I'm not a coward!" Fluttershy yelled back at her. It was the loudest her voice had sounded yet.

At that moment, Dash knew it was time for her to unleash her most devastating emotional blow. Shy was on the verge of cracking; it had to be now.

"Your rabbit's dead, Fluttershy," she said in a chillingly quiet voice. "He's gone forever. You failed him."

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The roar of rage Fluttershy gave could've shattered glass. She flung herself at Rainbow Dash, tackling her to the ground.

"Whoa!" Dash cried with a small laugh. "There ya go, Shy! That's how ya gah-!" She was cut off by Fluttershy pressing her forehoof down _hard_ on her throat while holding the barrel of her weapon to her temple.

"I AM NOT A COWARD!" She roared as she strangled her friend. "ANGEL IS NOT DEAD!" She began bashing Dash's head into the floor. "DON'T-EVER-TALK-TO-ME-THAT-WAY-AGAIN!" She punctuated each word with a slamming of Dash's head.

"Shy, stop!" Dash attempted to cry out. "Time out! Time out!"

"NO!" Fluttershy screamed at her. She then proceeded to violently lift the pegasus from the floor. Holding her tightly, she flew to the nearest wall and slammed her friend into it. "I TOLD YOU TO GET UP AGAINST THE WALL!"

"Alright! Alright! You got me!" Dash cried. "I'll do what you say! I'll ARRGGH!"

At that moment, Fluttershy grabbed one of Dash's wings and twisted it at an awkward angle.

"I'M NOT SUCH A COWARD NOW, AM I? AM I?"

"Gah! Shy, that's my bad wing! It was just starting to feel better! ARRRGH, STOP PLEASE!" Dash cried out in pain, but Fluttershy paid it no heed as she continued to twist it further.

Finally, the others could watch this no longer. Twilight boldly charged up to the raging pegasus and attempted to pull her off.

"Shy, stop it!" She cried. "We're not playing around anymore! You're really hurting her!"

Fluttershy turned to glare at her friend. Through the mask, Twilight could see how wide her eyes were, how enraged they looked.

"I DIDN'T SAY YOU COULD LEAVE THE WALL!" She pushed Twilight off her and held her weapon back up. "BACK AGAINST THE WALL NOW!"

"Fluttershy, stop this!" Applejack stepped in. "This ain't like you!"

"NO! THIS _IS _WHO I AM!" Fluttershy roared back at her. "I'M NOT A COWARD!"

"Dear!" Rarity came in. "It's us! It's your friends! You don't want to hurt us!"

"I... I..." Fluttershy began to tremble again, not out of rage... but fear. Through her mask, she could see the horrified looks her friends were giving her. Even Pinkie Pie look deeply stunned at her actions; her mane had drooped down to the floor the way it always did when she was depressed.

She then heard a pained groan from behind her. She turned to see that Rainbow Dash was laying splayed out on the floor, her teeth gritted tightly. She was badly bruised, and her wing was twitching violently.

She had done that... she had hurt her friend... her _closest _friend at that.

"Oh... oh my sweet Celestia!" She cried.

"Fluttershy..." Twilight attempted to calm her friend, but it was to no avail. The pegasus had dropped her weapon from her badly shaking hooves and bolted for the door, sobbing heavily. "Fluttershy, wait!" But it was too late; the door to the warehouse had already slammed behind her, leaving the four ponies standing there, looking dumbstruck.

"Aw, man!" Rainbow Dash groaned as she tried to stand. "I guess I... kinda had that coming."

"You monster," Rarity chided coldly, glaring daggers at her. "Why did you have to be so cruel?"

"Look, I was trying to get her to toughen up!" Dash replied harshly. "I honestly didn't think she'd have a reaction like that. I mean, I was hoping for _something, _but that was a little more than I expected!" She paused in thought for a moment. "Maybe I... was a little too harsh, though," she admitted sheepishly.

"Ya'll have got a lot ta 'poligize for when we find her!" Applejack snarled.

"_If _we find her," Dash muttered bitterly.

"C'mon, girls, we gotta go look for her!" Pinkie Pie announced as she bolted for the door.

The others quickly followed, Dash limping badly; she had taken quite a beating that day. Twilight's mind was abuzz with so many thoughts. In spite of the fact that she felt Dash had deserved what she had gotten to an extent, she couldn't help but feel a slight pang of discomfort at Fluttershy's behavior. If that weapon had been loaded... If Fluttershy had truly been as enraged as she appeared...

Twilight suddenly felt very _very _uncomfortable about letting that pegasus anywhere near that bank.

* * *

_**Heh, I kinda took my sweet ass time with this chapter, didn't I? I apologize for that. Truth is I've been spending more time reading MLP fanfiction that I have writing it. I'm currently balls deep into Fallout Equestria. That fics pretty much my obsession now. I'm planning on getting to Past Sins at some point as well (which is now on fimfic). **_

_**Anyway, thanks again for reading and reviewing. I'll see ya next chapter!**_


	16. The Family They Never Had

**Chapter Sixteen:**

**The Family They Never Had**

They didn't have to go far to find their shy pegasus friend; she was sitting at the edge of the dock that held the warehouse, sobbing freely, her ski mask laying by her side. It was late afternoon now. It had seemed like such a quick day with all the preparations they had undertaken. Heavy grey clouds covered the bustling city as far as the eye could see. It looked like quite the shower was just around the corner. If it ended up pouring rain tomorrow, Twilight couldn't help but wonder how it would affect the way the robbery played out. Hauling several hundred million bits worth of money through a downpour seemed like a pretty lousy way to go about things.

Twilight cast that thought aside; right now, her friend was more important. She, along with everypony else, slowly trotted up to the sobbing Fluttershy (Rainbow Dash still limping a bit). The sound of her crying was enough to break even the hardest of hearts. Rainbow Dash's deeply sorrowful expression was a testament to that. Of all the ponies involved in this whole thing, Fluttershy had to have been taking it the hardest. For such a peaceful and gentle soul to be thrust into this situation so abruptly, to lose her innocence in such a barbaric way... nopony could even begin to imagine how she was feeling.

And yet, she continued to stick it out with them. No matter how ugly things were getting, she hadn't shown any sign of wanting to quit and go home. Twilight had been sure she would've been the toughest to convince to go through with it, and she had ended up being the third one to volunteer. She had shared her troubled past with them. She had helped them dispose of those awful punks, even though it must've absolutely killed her to know she had taken a life. She had offered them invaluable information on what to expect when they break the bank. She had accompanied them into the dark reaches of Manehattens seedy underbelly. And just moments ago, she had shown just how intimidating she could be when properly pushed.

She was truly a valuable asset to this group. Without her, there was no way any of this would've been possible. And just moments ago... Rainbow Dash had hurt her more than she had ever hurt anypony before, and though the pegasus internally stood by the fact that she was just trying to toughen her up, she still felt utterly disgusted with herself over the way she had treated her friend.

"Hey, Fluttershy?" Dash said softly as she limped ahead of the others.

Futtershy made no indication that she had heard her friend. She continued to sob and whimper quietly as she stared out over the grey, dirty water. A cool breeze had picked up just moments ago, making it swirl and churn dangerously. It looked like a total death trap if anypony fell in. The bodies of the those colts must've been getting absolutely battered on the rocks at the bottom.

"Fluttershy, dear?" Rarity cooed gently as she stepped up next to Dash. She was stopped as the Dash held up a hoof and pushed her back gently.

"Let me handle this, alright?" She insisted calmly.

Rarity shot the pegasus a cold look, but backed off all the same. This was, after all, Dash's mess, and she _should_ be the one to fix it up.

"Are you okay, Shy?" Dash asked with a tone of concern that she rarely used.

"I-I'm sorry," Fluttershy squeaked quietly, still facing away from the others. "I... didn't mean to hurt any of you. I... just..."

"No, Fluttershy," Dash placed her hoof gently on Fluttershy's shoulder and pulled her so she was facing her. "I'm the one who's sorry. What I did back there... that was really uncool of me. It was like... the exact opposite of awesome."

"I-It's okay," Fluttershy whimpered softly.

"No, it's _not _okay," Dash shook her head vehemently. "You're my friend. It's not right for friends to rip on each other like that. And I just want you to know that I didn't mean a word of what I said back there. You understand? Not a _single _word."

"B-but... you were right; I am a coward..."

"Fluttershy!" Twilight, who along with the others had remained out of the way of the two pegasi, had to step in at those cruel words. "You are _not _a coward!"

"She's right, sugarcube," Applejack came in. "Don't ever talk that way 'bout yerself."

""B-but I-" Fluttershy was trembling terribly at that point.

"But nothing!" Rarity joined in. "We've all seen first hoof just how brave you can be! Don't even try to deny it!"

"But I'm... I'm..."

"One of the bravest, toughest, most wonderfulest ponies who ever lived!" Pinkie Pie bounded up to pegasus and threw her forelegs around her from behind. She squeezed her friends tightly, lovingly.

"But... but..."

"But but but, is that all you can say?" Dash asked with a sharp laugh. She would've laughed more, but Twilight shot her an angry look. Suddenly Dash remembered they were supposed to be cheering their friend up, not making jokes at her expense. "S-sorry, Shy," she apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to make fun of you."

Fluttershy whimpered quietly and hung her head.

"I hurt you, Rainbow Dash," she whispered. "I hurt you badly. And I scared the others."

"Hey, no, you didn't hurt me that badly," Dash said. "I can take a little pain. No sweat! Besides, you were really impressive back there!"

"I... I was?" Fluttershy seemed to brighten up a bit. A very _small _bit.

"Are you kidding? You were so intense you actually had us begging you to stop! You're gonna be so awesome when the real thing comes around!"

Fluttershy sniffled. A small smile formed on her muzzle. A _very _small one.

"I... was really kind of dreading it all day," she said softly. "I thought I was going to be terrible. And... I guess I sort of was for a while."

"Aw, hon, we were all dreadin' that moment fer the same reasons you were," Applejack said soothingly, giving the pegasus a gentle nuzzle. "None o' us thought we'd be cut out fer this kinda work."

"I did," Rainbow Dash muttered with a bitter scowl, receiving a scathing look from her earth pony rival. "What? All I'm saying is I think I was born to do this! Hay, screw the Wonderbolts; I think I might just make this robbery thing my new career path."

Her friends all stared at her blankly. Even Fluttershy managed to stop crying for a moment, her eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"You're kidding, right?" Twilight asked with a hint of genuine concern in her voice.

"Mmmmmmaaaaaaaaybe..." Dash replied cryptically.

"Dash, seriously," Twilight snapped. "Please tell me you're joking."

Dash held a straight face for few seconds before a sly grin broke out across her features.

"Yeah yeah, I'm kidding," she chuckled. "Man, I really had you guys going, didn't I?"

"With you, Rainbow Dash, sometimes it's hard to tell when you're joking or being serious," Twilight said with a roll of her eyes.

"Heh, guess that explains why I'm so good at pranking."

Fluttershy's crying had subsided by that point. But the yellow pegasus still wore a small frown on her face.

"I... still feel guilty that I hurt you so badly, Rainbow Dash," she murmured.

"Hey, I already told you I'm alright," Dash said. "I've hurt worse. Believe me."

"But your wing," Fluttershy gave Dash's injured wing a gentle stroke. "I knew it was bothering you and I hurt it anyway," she suddenly looked close to crying again. "How bad is it?"

Rainbow Dash stretched her wing out and gave it a few quick flaps. She visibly winced in pain at each flap. The pegasus examined it a few minutes more, then just shrugged and folded it back into her side.

"Ya know what? It hurts, but I think I can manage to fly with it, at least for a short while."

"You're sure?" Twilight asked. "Remember, I need you to fly me up to the roof of the bank tomorrow."

"I'll tough it out," Dash said simply. "I'll just go easy on it for now and maybe it'll feel better in the morning."

"Waddya think happened to it anyway, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I honestly don't know, Pinks," Dash answered with a sigh. "I'm thinking maybe I worked it a little too hard when we were on our way up here. I was just getting so tired of walking, and I was so anxious to get into the air that... I dunno. I guess I overdid it somehow."

Fluttershy's eyes began to gloss over with tears again. Her lip quivered sporadically.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, I'm so sorry I hurt you!"

"Shy, I already told you it was okay," Dash said firmly. "I was the one who pushed you. It was my own fault, and that's something I rarely say. And I just hope you know that I really was proud of the way you reacted. You were a real pro back there! Nopony's gonna do anything stupid when we take the bank, and it'll be because of you! You're gonna kick some serious flank tomorrow, I know it!"

The encouragement did little to improve Fluttershy's mood. The pegasus still looked deeply mortified by her behavior; her head hung low and her eyes closed resolutely. Dash sighed. She was going to have to try something a little... sappier if she wanted to help her friend. Sap was definitely _not_ her thing most of the time, but for the ones she cared about, she could make an exception once in a while. She positioned herself in front of her friend and gently brought a hoof under Fluttershy's chin and lifted it.

"Shy, look at me," she said soothingly. Fluttershy opened her eyes slowly. They were red and puffy from crying, but still attentive. Dash stared back at her with soft expression of kindness that was rarely seen in those magenta eyes. "I love you, Shy. You're one of the best friends a pony could ever have. You're like a sister to me. In fact... you're probably the closest thing to a family that I've ever had." Dash then let her gaze fall over all her other friends. "All of you are, actually." She suddenly looked very close to tears.

One by one, the mares approached the two pegasi, tears beginning to form in their own eyes as well. They threw their forelegs around them in a tight embrace. From the middle of the group, a soft, squeaky voice sounded off.

"I... I love you too, Rainbow Dash. All of you. You... you're all like sisters to me too. You're my real family."

"Same goes for me!" Pinkie Pie cried, tears flowing rom her eyes like fountains.

"Well, Ah've still got mah brother, sister and granny..." Applejack said. "But... ya'll are just as important ta me as they are. Might as well consider ya mah family as well."

"I, too, must admit that you all have really come to mean a lot to me," Rarity sniffled. "Why, I've even forced little Sweetie Belle into the habit of calling you all her aunts. I mean, she's not my daughter, but... I just find it so utterly adorable."

"I think it's cute," Fluttershy said with a tiny, meek smile.

"So, when you say we all mean a lot to you," Rainbow Dash said to Rarity. "You're... including me in that category, right?"

Rarity gave the pegasus a perplexed look.

"Well, of course, Rainbow Dash. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Aw, c'mon, Rare," Dash said with a small chuckle. "You and I have never been that close. We don't exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things. I mean, I still consider you a friend and all, but..." she trailed off there.

"Rainbow, dear," Rarity said firmly. "You remember the Best Young Fliers Competition, do you not?"

"The one you and I were in? Yeah, I remember," Dash sounded a bit confused.

"Then you would also remember that you saved my life that day, would you not?"

An expression of understanding crossed Rainbow Dash's features.

"Oh, that's right, I did."

"Do you really think I would forget something as profound as that?" Rarity's tone almost sounded cold.

"I, uh..." Dash chuckled nervously. "I guess I'm just so used to saving ponies that I forget who I've saved sometimes."

Rarity's somewhat cold expression slowly melted to a much warmer one. She smiled kindly as she placed a comforting hoof on Dash's shoulder.

"You've always had a special place in my heart, dear. Never forget that."

Dash smiled warmly back at the unicorn. She placed her own hoof on top of Rarity's and gently stroked it.

"Thanks, Rare. That really means a lot to me," she pulled Rarity into a warm embrace. "I... really do care about you a lot, ya know. Even if I don't really show it sometimes."

"I am honored to call you my friend, Rainbow Dash," Rarity squeezed her friend tighter. "I apologize for any unpleasantness between us the past few days. I know I acted quite foalish at times."

"I'm sorry too, Rarity," Dash slowly let herself out of the embrace, patting Rarity on the back a few times as she did. "I love ya."

"I love you too, dear." Rarity gently patted Rainbow Dash back.

Twilight smiled warmly as she looked over her friends, all hugging and comforting each other. It was just another beautiful moment in an otherwise dark situation. Unable to control herself any further, the unicorn joined in on the affectionate display, wrapping her forelegs around whoever she could.

"You guys..." she said softly. "I don't know if I've said this yet, but... thank you all so much for sticking with me through this whole thing. I... I never thought we'd end up in a situation like this. Not in a million years. But then again, I guess life's just full of surprises. Hay, I always thought I would spend my whole life living in Canterlot, remaining socially isolated 'till the day I died. But coming to Ponyville, meeting you all, having crazy adventure after crazy adventure... I guess you just never know what will happen.

"I am truly sorry that things went so bad for us. I never wanted us to end up in a situation like this. Who would? No halfway decent pony deserves anything like this. But... I don't regret what we've done so far. And I don't regret what we're going to do. I don't think it's a _good _thing... but I think it's necessary. And... I just want to say that the fact that you all have stuck with me so far, that you haven't shown any signs of faltering, of giving up and going home, well..." her eyes began to glisten with tears. "I means more to me than you can ever know. I'm so lucky to have you all in my life. Thank you."

Twilight felt a couple of forelegs wrap themselves around her back, squeezing her tightly.

"We'd never abandon you, Twi," Rainbow Dash said in perhaps the kindest tone she had ever used. "Our little egghead."

"Oh, I _never_ get tired of that name..." Twilight quipped sarcastically.

The group shared a small laugh and continued to embrace each other tightly. They remained that way for several minutes, just completely oblivious to the world around them. The unbearable tension of the past few days seemed to melt away entirely. For that brief moment, they were back to being the normal, carefree, kindhearted mares they used to be. Not the hardened, violent criminals they had become. One couldn't help but wonder if things would ever be the same after this whole adventure. Of course they were all perfectly clear that nopony would ever know about what they did, but just how well would they be able to keep that promise?

This wasn't just something they would forget the instant it was over and they were all back on their hooves, leading normal lives; what they did there in Manehatten would stay with them, haunt them, forever. Several instances in the past had shown them the dangers of keeping things bottled up for too long. At some point in the future, would it be necessary to tell, maybe just the ones closest to them, what they had done in Manehatten? They didn't need to go into detail of the more disturbing aspects of their journey (the incident with the punk need never be mentioned again), but they could at least give them an idea of how far they were willing to go to make things better not just for themselves, but for those they loved. And how even though it may not have been pretty, it made everything better in the end.

There was no telling what the reactions would be, even if it was decades from now, and the whole affair was nothing but a blurry memory; just a small black mark on an otherwise altruistic lifestyle. Maybe by that point they just wouldn't have it in them to be angry or upset. If life went as well for them as they all hoped it would, if the rest of their existence was nothing but smooth sailing, then what reason would their loved ones have to be upset over something that happened long ago? They could only hope things would be that simple, even though deep down they all knew that things were never as easy as they wanted them to be. With all the bad luck they had endured the past week, it was difficult to see any silver lining in the future.

Maybe it would be best to just stick with the original plan of never telling a soul about their endeavors in Manehatten. This could prove to be difficult. particularly for Applejack. If she was ever asked by her family about what she had done during her time away, could she really have it in her to lie to them, going against her Element (which even though they had made it seem like they had renounced those powerful little gems, parts of them couldn't help but still feel attached to them in some way)?

Plus there was the question of how they were going to explain where all the money came from when they got back. Just how exactly were they going to explain that?

They won the lotto?

Won on a game show?

Some crazy old aunt that none of them had heard of left them her fortune?

They found a map that led them to some unmarked grave that had millions of bits buried along with its deceased occupant?

...

Actually the idea of defiling a grave for money probably wouldn't go over well with most ponies. In fact, it almost sounded worse than robbing a bank.

Whatever the case, they had plenty of time to think of something. Chances were one of those stories would work. For now, they just had to focus on actually getting it done.

They had been holding each other for at least a half-hour, completely oblivious to the world around them. They were only vaguely aware of the ambient sounds of the city; the honking of horns, the whistling of the wind as it blew between the buildings, the occasional "Learn to drive, asshole!" from a passing motorist (_Such a lovely city_), and the soft lapping of water against the wooden poles supporting the pier.

What they _hadn't _heard was the clopping sound of hoofsteps from behind them. An old green stallion had walked out on the pier, carrying a newspaper in his mouth. He settled down on a wooden bench overlooking the river. Before setting his newspaper up to read it, he shot a nasty glare at the colorful group of fillies locked in a loving embrace.

_Damn filly foolers..._

As hard as he tried to focus on his paper, the affectionate display that he found so revolting was proving to be too much for him to bare. What right did these mares showing such a vulgar display of affection in what he considered to be his own little sanctuary? He had been coming out to this pier every afternoon for nearly twenty five years to read his paper and just enjoy the tranquility of the water... well out of the way of the bustling city. Sure, he would sometimes come across another pony out here, usually just staring out over the water and enjoying the peace and quiet, just like him. He had no issue with that; he didn't own this pier after all, and they always just kept to themselves.

But this... this was just _wrong._

He couldn't focus... he just couldn't focus. It was too much. In his youth, ponies didn't stand for this kind of sickening display in public. And whenever one did, by some chance, come across anything of that sort, they were never shy about voicing their disapproval.

Times had certainly changed... ponies were too soft these days.

A few minutes had passed, and the group had shown no sign of parting anytime soon. The old stallion could take it no longer. While he was a rather non-confrontational buck (particularly when he just wanted to relax with his paper), he wasn't above dirty looks or muttering bitterly.

"Why don't you ladies get a room?" he muttered, somewhat louder than he had intended... which proved to be a little _too _loud.

Immediately, Twilight's, along with everypony else's ears perked up. They released each other and snapped their attention to the stallion on the bench, angry glares on each of their faces.

"WHAT WHAT WHAT?"

"WHAT WAS THAT, SIR?"

"EXCUSE ME?"

"BEG PARDON?"

"WHAT'D YOU SAY, YOU PUNK?"

"Um, was that rather rude comment directed at us, sir?"

Almost instantly, the old stallion regretted his bold (stupid) remark. Though he hadn't intended them to hear it, deep down he sorta wished they would. As luck would have it, they had, except now it probably wasn't so lucky after all.

The expressions of rage on the faces of those six mares terrified him in a way he had never felt before. He felt as though he was looking into the eyes of true psychopaths, the kind of psychopaths that had no limitations to the sick things they could do to others. And he had just incurred their wrath...

The only thing he could think to do was ignore them and just go back to his paper. As he attempted to read the first article he came across, he heard the pattering of several hoofsteps approaching him. His heart began to pound wildly. Though he tried to control it, his hooves were starting to shake.

_Just ignore them, just ignore them, just ig-_

At that instant, a cyan colored hoof slapped the paper out of his hooves and onto the ground.

"We're talking to you, idiot! What did you just say to us?" Rainbow Dash was hovering above him, just inches from his face.

The stallion quickly glanced around and realized with horror that he was surrounded on all sides by the enraged mares. He could try making a run for it, but he was not quite the stallion he used to be; these six mares could overpower him easily. The only thing he could think to do now was lie, though he couldn't help but feel that even if they believed him, it wouldn't change their intentions for him. These mares just seriously looked like they wanted to hurt somepony... and they didn't need an excuse.

"I... didn't say anything, miss," he said as politely as he could. "P-Perhaps it was just wind you heard."

The old buck shrieked as a pink colored hoof struck him sharply across his cheek.

"Oh really?" Pinkie Pie yelled at him. "So you're saying the wind told us to 'get a room?'"

Before the stallion could answer, another hoof, orange colored, struck him across his other cheek.

"Damn bigot!" Applejack spat. "Ain't ya ever seen two ponies o' the same sex givin' each other a harmless lil' hug?"

"I-I didn't mean- OOF!" A white hoof clocked him right under his chin, knocking a few teeth loose.

"Are you aware that you ruined a rather sentimental moment, my good sir?" Rarity asked in a chillingly calm voice. She was favoring the hoof she had struck him with. She wasn't exactly used to hitting that hard.

"Alright! Alright! Please stop!" The stallion begged, blood and teeth flying from his mouth. "I'm sorry! It was wrong of me to say that! I-It's just how I was raised! I don't really feel that way about filly foolers, I swear!"

THONK!

A burst of pain shot through his head as another hoof clonked him right on the top of the head... hard. His vision was blurred now, from both the tears forming in his eyes and the disorientation from taking such a viscous blow.

Behind him hovered Fluttershy, not looking even the least bit appalled by what she had done.

"We're not filly foolers, you... you... prick!" Fluttershy said, ignoring her choice of words. "You shouldn't make assumptions about ponies you don't know!"

"Oh... oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" The stallion cried. He was shaking all over now. "I didn't mean to offend any of you, I swear! Wh-whatever your sexual orientations are, I approve whole-heartedly! You can all like whoever you want to like!"

"Oh, so we needed your approval?" Rainbow Dash sneered. She raised her hoof to strike him again, but stopped before actually bringing it down. Seeing him flinch was satisfying enough.

"P-Please..." he sounded close to tears now. "I-I'm a bigot and a coward, I know! J-Just let me leave! I'll let you lovely young mares get back to what you were doing!" He attempted to slide off the bench, but he forced back onto it by several pairs of hooves.

"Nope nope nope!" Pinkie Pie said almost cheerfully. "You leave when we say you leave!"

"Oh my sweet Celestia..." the stallion whimpered. He was at the mercy of complete psychopaths.

He looked up into the eyes of Twilight Sparkle, the only mare who hadn't struck him yet. She stared back down at him with an almost curious expression. It was as if she was thinking, "What are we going to do with you?" The old stallion gave her a pleading look. He prayed to Celestia that she was a more sensible pony than the others. Surely she believed that it wasn't worth killing him over a measly rude comment. They all had to believe that... didn't they?

"You know what I think girls?" Twilight said after a while. "I think this guy's going for a little swim!"

"Sounds good to me!" Rainbow Dash announced as she and Pinkie Pie yanked him off the bench and carried him over to the edge of the dock.

The old buck had calmed down significantly by this point. Was this all they were going to do to him? Just toss him in the river? Well... that wasn't so bad! He was expecting so much worse. But just throwing him in the river... he could walk away from that! Sure that water was filthy and freezing, but it was nothing a hot bath at home couldn't fix.

He didn't struggle; there was no point. He decided it was best to just take his punishment and let these horrible young mares go back to whatever it is they were doing. He could think hateful thoughts about them all he wanted when he got back home.

"Wait a minute!" Twilight said suddenly, right before Pinkie and Dash had brought him to the edge of the dock. His heart stopped. He turned his head to look at Twilight, and the expression on her face made his blood freeze. "Let's break his legs first, then we'll see how well he swims!"

"NO! NO! OH, SWEET CELESTIA NO! PLEASE DON'T!" The stallion cried, throwing all dignity aside.

With sadistic grins, Pinkie and Dash pinned the wildly thrashing stallion to the ground.

"Oh, act your age, darling," Rarity sneered as she telekinetically lifted one of his rear legs.

"HEEEEEELP ME!" He screamed. "SOMEPONY PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE!"

"Scream all you want, buddy; this area has been sound-proofed with a spell. Nopony can hear you," Twilight explained light-heartedly.

The now badly hyperventilating stallion turned his head to look back towards the city. Even if they couldn't hear him, surely they could at least _see _what was happening down here, couldn't they? As it turned out, either they honestly didn't see him, or they saw him, but just didn't care. The citizens of Manehatten just went about with their daily lives, paying him absolutely no heed. And in all honesty... it didn't surprise him. In Manehatten, a pony violently convulsing in a gutter was a disturbingly common sight. Ponies were just so used to those kinds of sights that they just didn't care anymore.

As Twilight and Applejack moved into position to bring their hooves down on his leg, the crotchety old bigot threw away the last of his dignity and burst out in hysterical crying.

"D-Don't d-do this to me! I-I'm sorry! I know I'm a lousy excuse for a pony! I know! B-But I don't deserve this! I-I have little foal at home! I-I'm all she had in this world! I... I wanna go home to her! I wanna go home!"

As the old stallion cried and moaned pathetically, the six mares just stared down at him with dead-panned expressions. There was no hiding the sick satisfaction they were getting from this. All they had wanted was to share a sweet, friendly hug with their newfound sisters... and this pompous ass of a pony had to come along and ruin it with his a-hole comment. Under normal circumstances, he could've been ignored. But when a pony was under the kind of stress that the Mane Six were... stupid shit like that just did not fly.

About a minute had passed, and the stallions hysterical crying had subsided to a soft whimpering. His face was pressed flat into the wood of the dock. All he could do now was wait for the pain of broken limbs to overtake him...

It never came.

Twilight and Applejack looked to each other after a while, the latter looking a tad confused.

"Are we really gonna...?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Twilight shook her head and mouthed the word "No". She glanced over the others, and they all seemed to understand; there was no reason to kill this stallion. He just wasn't worth the effort. He was just an angry, bitter, cowardly excuse for a pony. It was unfortunate he had to be the way he had to be... but he didn't deserve to die. Really, all Twilight wanted was to scare the piss out of him, and judging from the yellowish puddle that had formed underneath him, they had succeeded.

The stallion was so paralyzed with fear that it took him a moment to realize his leg was no longer being lifted. Slowly, he turned his gaze upwards, trembling terribly. He saw the six mares casually trotting away from him, heading towards the abandoned warehouse. He let out a long sigh of relief, thanking Celestia profusely in his mind. Though part of him was screaming that it had to be a trick of some kind, that these mares had something truly horrible planned for him, he just didn't want to believe it; he was simply too relieved that he would get to go back home... home to that non-existent foal he made up. He would-

"YAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" A loud battle cry drew his attention forward. He looked up just in time to see Pinkie Pie charging towards him, looking about as insane as a pony could possibly look.

The old buck screamed at the top of his lungs, only to be cut off swiftly by the pink pony grabbing him in her forelegs, spinning him around wildly, then flinging him off the edge of the pier. He went flying a good fifteen to twenty yards before splashing into the freezing water. He shrieked and flailed about wildly as he struggled to stay afloat. The water was so cold he could barely comprehend his surroundings.

Pinkie Pie watched him struggle with a satisfied smirk on her face; he had it commin'. Once she saw he was able to start making his way to the shore, she returned to her friends and together they started towards the warehouse.

"That was so satisfying," Rainbow Dash said proudly.

"Nice to put somepony like that in there place," Rarity smirked.

"It... was kind of fun actually," Fluttershy said softly.

"Heh, I can't believe you actually called him a prick, Shy," Dash laughed. "That was so awesome! I knew ya had it in you!"

Fluttershy actually managed to smile at that. For the first time in her life, she didn't regret being a meany.

"So what now, girls? Huh huh huh?" Pinkie Pie asked, hoping up and down excitedly.

"I think now would be a good time to try out those weapons of ours, see how good we are with them," Twilight suggested. "I know I said we may not have to fire a shot if everything goes according to plan, but it never hurts to be prepared for the worst."

"Aw, this is gonna be fun!" Dash announced jovially.

"Ya know, Ah've kinda been achin' to see how Ah handle the kick on that shottie o' mine," Applejack said.

As they approached the warehouse door, a small gust of wind blew the newspaper that the stallion had left behind off the bench and towards the mares. By chance, it landed directly at Rarity's hooves. The fashionista stopped for a second, the other continuing onward, and gave the front page a quick glance.

The headline made her heart stop. She stared at it blankly, not wanting to comprehend it, but unable to deny it. Whatever satisfaction she was feeling earlier was completely gone, replaced by almost utter despair.

"Rarity?" Twilights voice snapped her back to attention. "Something wrong?"

"Uh, no dear," Rarity lied hastily. "Everything's fine. I just... it's nothing." She stepped over the newspaper and trotted after the others.

Twilight gave her a concerned look, but quickly shrugged it off as Rarity passed her. Together they headed back into their hideout.

The paper remained where it was on the wooden floor of the dock, facing blankly up into the cloudy sky. It's headline read:

**Fire Ravages Manehatten Planning Department**

**Two dead, several others wounded**

* * *

_**Heh heh, I gotta admit something. The whole thing with the old stallion was something I made up on the spot. I hadn't planned on it at first. Originally they were just going to hug and go back inside. And I figured I needed to add something else. So I thought: 'Maybe it'd be good throw in something intense and disturbing to offset the sweet tenderness a moment ago.' I figured it would make the chapter a little more memorable.**_

_**Anyway, thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and whatnot. More soon!**_


	17. Stage Four: A Getaway Car

**Chapter Seventeen:**

**Stage Four: A Getaway Car**

The silence of the warehouse was shattered brutally by the eardrum-shredding roar of Rainbow Dash's AK-47. The pegasus proved more than capable at keeping her weapon held steady as she attempted to hit the small aluminum can that Twilight had set up for her at the far end of the warehouse. They were all wearing their ski masks again; they had to get used to the feeling of firing their weapons and moving around with their vision obscured.

"C'mon, ya stupid can! FALL!" Rainbow Dash shouted over the roar of the rifle. Bullets sprayed all around the wooden box the can was placed on, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. Occasionally, the can would spin or slide over a bit, a sign that Dash had managed to skim it with a bullet, but she had yet to land a direct hit.

A soft click suddenly interrupted the roar of the weapon; Dash had run dry. She made to reload, but Twilight halted her briskly.

"One more try, Rainbow Dash, and then you should stop. We need to conserve ammo for the actual event."

"Aw, c'mon, Twi. We've got plenty of ammo," Dash said lazily. "Besides, you said if we stuck to the plan and did everything right, we wouldn't have to fire a single shot."

"But if something goes wrong and we find ourselves fending off an army of police ponies, we're really going to need that extra ammo," Twilight explained.

Upon finishing that sentence, the room went deathly quiet. Twilights friends stared at her with mixed expressions of concern and dread. Even Fluttershy, who had spent most of the past few minutes with her head in her hooves, shielding her ears from the loud roar of Rainbow Dash's rifle, looked up at Twilight, her eyes wide as saucers.

"We're... gonna hafta... shoot at cops?" Applejack finally asked slowly.

"Well, I mean..." Twilight searched for the proper thing to say, but nothing came to her. There was simply no easy way to say this.

"Twi, I... I don't think I could do that..." Rainbow Dash said quietly, the smug pride had left her face completely. "I mean, killing punks, weapons dealers, and tormenting crotchety old bigots is one thing, and killing innocent civilians is another. But cops? They keep the electric chair all good and ready for ponies who take out mares and stallions in uniform!"

Fluttershy squeaked with fear and buried her face in her hooves again.

"Well, what did you think we were practicing shooting for?" Twilight asked a bit defensively. "I thought you all were aware of the possible threats that a robbery entails!"

Rainbow Dash stuttered incoherently. She knew she should've been aware of these possibilities; for the past few days she held the thought of having to shoot at cops, and being shot back at, in the back of her head, refusing to pay it much heed. There were more pressing issues she had chosen to focus on, like just what she was going to do with her bits. Besides bribing the Wonderbolts, she figured she could keep a little for herself. But now that it had been brought out in the open, there was no denying it: if things went south during the robbery, the Bank of Equestria could very well become a war zone.

For that brief moment, Dash didn't feel like being the most badass pegasus in the land.

"Well, I suppose this is a good sign," Rarity said with a slight tone of encouragement. "We haven't become completely desensitized to murder if we're on the fence about killing law enforcement."

"That don't change the fact that we may _have _to if the situation calls fer it," Applejack said.

"Well..." Twilight began, halting a possible argument. "We don't... necessarily _have _to shoot to kill."

Her friends stared at her with confusion.

"And how, pray tell, would that be possible?" Rarity asked.

"I've read a few books that explained some of the combat procedures of our military ponies, and I learned that-"

"Woah woah woah!" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "You mean you actually read something that doesn't sound boring?"

Twilight glared at the pegasus. "_Nothing _I read is boring, Dash," she chided. "I thought you would've figured that out when I introduced you to Daring Do."

"Really? I thought you were trying to get those books out of your mane because they were too intense for you or something," Dash snarked.

Twilight groaned and shook her head. "As I was saying..." she shot Dash another annoyed glance, daring her to interrupt again. "One of the things I learned about that they do when under heavy fire is try to keep the enemy down by not necessarily shooting to kill, but by firing in their general direction. usually, it proves to be enough to keep them behind cover while others can manuever safely around."

"You don't say," Rarity said, sounding genuinely impressed.

Rainbow Dash suddenly had a look comprehension on her face. "Oh yeah! They call it 'suppressing fire' don't they?"

Twilight smiled proudly at her friend. "Very good, Dash!" She congratulated her. "I take it you _read _about that somewhere?"

"Pssh. I learned about it from Modern Warmare," Dash replied snarklily.

"Whatever," Twilight shook her head. "The point is, we don't have to shoot to kill. If we just use that suppressing fire technique to keep any attackers at bay, we should be able to navigate safely through any difficult areas."

"You sayin' we're gonna have ta like, fight through the streets 'r somethin'?" Applejack asked nervously.

"It's a definite possibility," Twilight replied grimly. "There's no way we're staying holed up in that bank to wait it out; we wouldn't stand a chance."

"Twilight, dear, you're acting like this a for sure thing," Rarity said.

"Yeah, I thought we had this whole thing planned out well enough that it's highly unlikely we'll be dealing with any opposition," Dash added.

"True, we have planned this out well," Twilight said, holding up a hoof to silence any further outbursts. "But no plan is one hundred percent fool-proof, even if we take every precaution to ensure nothing goes wrong. All I'm saying is we need to be prepared for the worst. ... Actually, I've pretty much been alluding to that this whole trip. I'm surprised you all haven't had that concept branded into your memories by now."

It was quiet for a moment. Everypony seemed to be taking a moment to register that statement. It was true; Twilight had vaguely implied several times all the possible threats they could face. She may not have outright brought up police interference, but that was because she was sure they already knew about it. It seemed obvious that they would at least have that thought in the backs of their heads.

"Gosh, Twi," Applejack said after a while. "Now that ya mention it, that does sound like somethin' we should'a been thinkin' 'bout fer a while now."

""We've all had a lot on our minds, dear," Rarity added gently. "It's perfectly understandable that we lost track of some of the more pressing issues."

"I just felt so confident we'd pull this off that I never even thought for a second that things would get that bad," Rainbow Dash said, more to herself than the others.

"Well, now we know, and now we can properly prepare," Twilight said as she telekinetically lifted her AR15. "We'll try out this suppressing fire technique; it should prove to be a very effective method for keeping ourselves safe." She then added quietly, "And making sure we don't lose any more sleep over what we're doing."

"Sounds fine ta me," Applejack announced as she reared back onto hind legs and lifted her twelve gage. "Wonder how Ah'll do with this-"

BLLLLLLZZZZZZTTTTTT!

An ear-splitting sheet ripping sound filled the warehouse, sending both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash zipping up into the air screaming. Twilight and Rarity both shrieked in fear and dove to the ground, covering their heads with their forehooves. Applejack, startled by sudden loud noise, tumbled backwards, accidentally firing a shell into ceiling as she landed on her back.

The load roar continued for close to fifteen seconds before abruptly silencing, the only sounds being the soft clattering of shell casings on the wooden floor. Twilight, Rarity and Applejack all slowly rose to their hooves again, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash slowly descended to the ground. All five of them were wide-eyes and physically shaking.

Just ahead of them, propped up against a wooden box for cover, her smoking M60 balanced on the top of it, was Pinkie Pie. And just ahead of her was the aluminum can Rainbow Dash had been attempting to hit earlier... or at least what was left of it. The can was nothing but a shredded mess of jagged aluminum; it appeared as if Pinkie had scored a hit with every last bullet. Turning back around, the pink pony was met with the shocked and horrified expressions of her friends.

"So, was I any good?" She asked hopefully, receiving no answer, just more slack-jawed gazes. "Soooooooo... what were you all talking about a moment ago? I wasn't listening because I was setting up my shot."

Finally, Twilight regained her composure. She sighed in mild annoyance and prepared to explain the plan again to crazy pink pony who could apparently shoot the dust off the eyelashes of a fly...

* * *

As the afternoon pressed on, Twilight found herself becoming more and more impressed with the shooting and maneuvering skills of her friends. If she hadn't known any better, she'd have guessed they had all served in Equestria's Military at some point.

They hadn't started off particularly well, however, with the exception of Pinkie Pie. Of course accuracy was the biggest issue; though they weren't aiming to kill, they still had difficulty keeping their aim in the general direction of where they were shooting. Applejack in particular had a hard time staying balanced on her hind legs while firing her powerful shottie. The very first shot she took (not counting the accidental discharge when Pinkie Pie had surprised her) sent her tumbling onto her back with a loud "Whoa Nelly!" When she did manage to find her balance, however, she proved quite accurate, even at long range, which was really saying something considering shotguns were close-range weapons.

Fluttershy was, predictably, having serious problems just managing to hold her silenced MP5. Though she hadn't had much problem with it earlier when they were role-playing, the thought that she had to actually fire it now filled her with apprehension. She was so shaky when she attempted to fire it that some of her friends had discreetly placed themselves behind some form of cover, for fear that the shy pegasus would lose control of her weapon and end up firing all over the warehouse. Though Fluttershy never lost control _that _badly, she still was far from accurate. All Twilight had asked of her friends was to focus their fire on a certain section of the warehouse, to pretend there were cops hidden behind the cover of the boxes in that section. She told them that just keeping that area under heavy enough fire should keep the imaginary police ponies subdued. At first, Fluttershy had only managed to make something of a horizontal sweep of the area. It was mildly impressive for her first try, but it wasn't good enough; too many rounds were wasted on the areas to the sides of where she was intended to aim.

Rarity had been perfectly apt at levitating her MP5 with her telekinesis, but focusing on pulling the trigger proved to be more of a challenge. She was straining herself too quickly, another sign that her magic was nowhere near the level of Twilights, and she ended up losing her grip on it more than once, sending it crashing to the ground with a few stray shots blasting out from it, thankfully not coming anywhere near hitting anypony else. When she finally _did _manage to squeeze the trigger, she was unfortunately no more accurate than Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash, along with Pinkie Pie, proved to be quite a natural after a while. Her accuracy was significantly better than the others. It wasn't long before the cocky pegasus was making an absolute show of her abilities; rolling through the air, diving behind cover, backflipping gratuitously... Dash was living in her own little action movie. Twilight eventually had to bring her back down to reality, but she couldn't hide her elation at the fact that at least two of her friends were proficient in combat. It definitely put her a bit more at ease.

As for the lavender unicorn herself? Well, she had no issue whatsoever levitating her AR15 and getting the trigger pulled. As for her accuracy... she was certainly a step up from Rarity and Fluttershy, but nowhere near Dash, Pinkie and Applejack's skill. It almost made her feel guilty for judging her more "feminine" friends for their lack of skill when she, herself wasn't much better.

But as the day wore on, the feeling of deadly instruments of destruction in their hooves and telekinetic grasps became more and more familiar... not to mention chillingly comfortable. Their accuracy improved significantly, they mastered the process of reloading, and their movements became so much more fluid and graceful as their comfort grew. It wasn't long before they were all living in same action movie Dash was... and they were enjoying it.

It was true; they had reached a point where they were so accustomed to what they were doing that they were making a show out of it, just as much as Dash was earlier. They found themselves chuckling and cheering as they pulled off impressive feats of diving behind cover, pulling off trick shots, belting out cheesy one-liners from action movies (Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash in particular), and just all around showing off. Over time, they had almost completely forgotten why they were there in the first place. The upcoming heist was just a small dark mark in the backs of their heads as they spent the afternoon laughing and having fun. Even Rarity, whose mind had moments ago been plagued with the horrifying reality that her actions at the City Planning Department had caused the deaths of two innocent ponies (deep down, Rarity had tried to stick to the hope that maybe they weren't so innocent; maybe they were abusive spouses or crooked business ponies or something), had forgotten about it entirely for a just a little while.

After a while, Twilight decided to call it quits at the risk of using up too much ammo. She beamed at her friends with giddy pride; they had learned so much so quickly, it truly amazed her just how quickly these five mares could adapt to situations and not only pull through them, but _excel _at them. These were not the same mares who had first walked into Manehatten, all bummed out and tired and defeated... these were hardened, professional robbers, and they were gonna take the Bank of Equestria by storm.

* * *

It was early evening when Rainbow Dash raised a rather interesting issue, one that none of them had considered surprisingly...

"So, when we're inside the bank and we're pulling this whole thing off, we're gonna have to communicate with each other in some way, right?"

All over the warehouse, the others were laying around, relaxing, gathering their strength. Twilight sat in the far corner, twiddling the C4 with her magic, trying to figure it out. It was all coming together quite well, and she figured she would be the one to plant it on the vault when the time came.

Their attention was all drawn to the rainbow-maned pegasus as she continued. "Do you guy's really think it would be a good idea to use our real names while we're in there?"

Twilight's eyes widened in surprise, both at her normally brash friend's insight, and at the fact that she, herself didn't think of it sooner. "That's... a very good question Rainbow Dash! I should've thought about that a long time ago! Damn... where had my mind been?"

Rainbow Dash smirked, proud of the fact that she had quicker to think of something than her egghead friend.

"So, are ya sayin' we're gonna need somethin' like code names?" Applejack asked.

"Something like that," Twilight answered. "We definitely can't use our real names. We'll have to think of some monikers for ourselves, one's that are aren't too close to our real names, though I think they should hold some kind of element of our real names so we can identify each other easily enough."

"Ooooh! Ooooh!" Pinkie Pie raised her hoof and bounded up and down sporadically. "I know! We should give each other color-coded names!"

"Oh yeah!" Rainbow Dash pumped a hoof in the air. "Like that move, _R__eservoir Ponies!" _

Pinkie gasped. "That's totally what I had in mind! I love that movie!" The two ponies high-hoofed.

"I don't think think I ever caught that one," Twilight said a bit apprehensively.

"Aw, it's such a badass movie, Twi!" Dash said excitedly. She then began explaining things at a speed that would put Pinkie Pie to shame. "It's like, these six stallions come together to pull off a heist, and they're all strangers to each other. Like, they don't even know each others names, they're just refered to as Mr. White and Mr. Blue and Mr. Brown and whatnot. And the whole heist goes wrong, but you never really see it happen, you just see the aftermath of it all. And really, a majority of the movie is just them talking and arguing with each, but they're so fun to listen to! And they're all accusing each other of being a rat and one of 'em's a cop and one of em hid the money in like a sewer somewhere-"

"It was diamonds," Fluttershy intoned quietly, though nopony heard her.

"And there's all this crazy violence and a cop gets his ear cut off and one of them's a psycho and it's just really badass!" Dash stopped abruptly, breathing heavily and smiling widely.

"Well..." Twilight tried to sound impressed. "I certainly hope things go better for us than they did for those stallions."

"Oh, don't worry. The guy's in that movie were total chumps," Dash said assuredly. "They thought they were all professional and crap. We're better than them by a long shot. We're gonna nail this."

"Okay, so..." Twilight began. "So you're saying you want to be like... Miss Blue or something?"

"Nah, screw that! Mr. Blue died really early on!" Dash said indignantly. "Actually, come to think of it... they all died! You know what? Forget the color thing; it's unoriginal."

"Well, I guess there's no point in me seeing the movie now since I know what happens," Twilight muttered a bit irritably.

"Nah, it's still a fun movie, Twi! Even if you know what happens!"

"Whatever. We're getting side-tracked," Twilight shook her head. "If you don't want to do the color thing, we'll think of something else."

"Awwwww," Pinkie Pie moaned. "I wanted to be Miss Pink!"

"Actually, I think you would've fit better with Mr. Blonde, Pinks," Dash muttered.

Twilight waved a hoof to silence them before things could get out of hoof again. "I personally think a good idea for code name's would be like some sort of variation on our regular names. That we should be able to keep track of who's who if we it that way."

A moment passed for the others to think on that.

"So..." Rarity said after a while. "I'm assuming Applejack should be called... _Orange_jack or something along that particular mindset?"

"That could work," Twilight replied thoughtfully.

"_Orange_jack?" AJ sounded less than enthusiastic. "That sounds a mite ridiculous."

"How 'bout Orange Juice?" Rainbow suggested with a laugh.

"Why do Ah gotta be associated with fruit?" Applejack asked angrily.

"Because we need to be able to easily identify each other, remember?" Twilight explained. "Your real name is fruit related, so if we give you some kind of fruit related nickname, you'll know we're refering to you if we need to communicate in some way while we're in the bank."

"Oh, right," Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. "Does it gotta be Orange though? Ah never much cared for 'em."

"But you _are_ a kinda orange-ish color," Pinkie Pie chimed in.

"Ah always kinda thought of mahself as more o' a goldenrod," AJ muttered.

"How about just OJ?" Twilight suggested. "It can stand for anything you want."

Applejack thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "Fair 'nough."

"Just don't stab us or anything," Pinkie Pie muttered a little loudly.

Everypony stared at their odd pink friend.

"What?" They all said in unison.

"What?" Pinkie Pie parroted.

"Oooooooookay?" Twilight shrugged in confusion. "Anyway, what about you, Rainbow Dash?"

The cyan pegasus rubbed her chin in thought for a moment before Pinkie Pie cut in with her own suggestion, "Rainbow Bright!"

Dash glared daggers at the pink pony. "Fuck yourself, Pinkie!" She spat.

"Tee hee! Just kidding, Dashie!" Pinkie giggled. "Ooh! I know! How about just Hash?"

"Hash?" Dash gave Pinkie a scathing look. "That makes me sound like a stoner!"

"But, dear, I thought you were a stoner," Rarity said hesitantly.

"No!" Dash shot back at her. "I mean, Gilda and I passed a bong around once a long time ago, but-"

"It would explain why you're so lazy all the time," Fluttershy muttered just load enough for the others to hear.

"Yeah but..." Dash just wasn't gonna win this. "Okay, look, I _occasionally _wind down at the end of the day with a joint. It's wasn't something I ever did before going to work or anything. It was just an occasional thing to help me chill out. Alright?"

"But, didn't you harp on Scootaloo for smoking a cigarette not too long ago?" Twilight asked.

"Cigarettes have poisons and tar in them. Cannabis is just a plant; it's nowhere near as unhealthy," Dash explained quickly.

"Whatever," Twilight said with a shrug. "So do you want another name, or will Hash work for you?"

Rainbow Dash thought for a few seconds more, then shrugged. "Ya know what? Hash is fine. It actually sounds kinda cool now that I think about it."

"Alright then," Twilight turned to the other pegasus in the room. "How about you, Fluttershy? What name do you want?"

"Um... um... can you come back to me?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"C'mon, Shy, just think of any name similar to your own," Hash said encouragingly. "How 'bout... Butterfly? That sounds almost like a cool assassin name!"

"Um... I guess that's okay."

"You sure, hon?" Twilight asked. "You can have any name you want if it's close enough to your real one."

Fluttershy contemplated that a minute longer. "Butterfly's fine," she finally said with a bit of confidence.

"Alright then," Twilight turned to her fellow unicorn. "Rarity?"

"Hmm. Mine's going to be rather difficult," Rarity mused. "I cannot for the life of me think of any other word close to Rarity. Perhaps-"

"Commodity," OJ cut in.

Rarity turned to her and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Commodity? I don't believe I follow."

"Common? Rare? They're opposites. Seems fittin'," OJ explained.

"Oh..." Rarity sounded a bit taken aback at her own airheaded-ness. "How insightful. I suppose that will do; until the deed is done, I shall be refered to as... Commodity."

"Beautiful," Twilight deadpanned. "Alright, Pinkie, what name do you want?"

"Oh, there's so many I've been thinking about! I just can't decide!" Pinkie hopped up and down playfully.

"Stinky Pie?" Hash suggested with a straight face.

"Dash- I mean, Hash, that's mean!" Twilight scolded.

"What?" Hash feigned innocence. "I had to sleep next to her one night. It wasn't easy," she covered her nose with a hoof. She was then met with a clonk the the head, courtesy of a pink hoof.

"STOP BEING A MEANY PANTS, HASHIE!" Pinkie shrieked.

"Jeez! Sorry!" Hash moaned, rubbing the top of her head. "I was just joshing, for crying out loud. You smell great, Pinkie... like Candy."

Immediately, the pink pony perked up. "I do?" She sniffed under her fore leg. "Omigosh, I totally do! I should be called Candy!"

"That'll work," Twilight smiled. She looked over her friends and pointed a hoof at each of them individually. "OJ, Hash, Butterfly, Commodity, Candy, and..." she pointed a hoof to herself, "Call me... Daylight."

"Daylight," They all repeated in unison.

"Kinda unoriginal, Twi," Hash remarked a little snidely.

"It doesn't matter, Hash. It'll work," Daylight hissed at her. "So, from now on we refer to each other by our code names, just so we can get properly adjusted to them. Clear?" They all nodded. "Good. Now then, tomorrow morning, Hash flies me to the roof of the bank while you all enter one at a time. You wait until I knock out the power, then pull your masks and weapons and get the crowd under control. When I come down, I'll try to get the crowd to remain calm, tell them they won't die if they don't do anything stupid. A few of us will go down to the vault, where _I'll _plant the C4 -I think I've got how it works figured out- and once it's blown open, we'll get inside and take what we can carry."

"Who do you want going down there with you?" Commodity asked.

Daylight had to think about that for a moment. "You, Commodity, and Butterfly. I think Hash, OJ and..."

"Candy."

"Candy, that's right, would be better at keeping the crowd intimidated."

"Sound's good ta me, Twi- Ah mean Daylight," OJ said.

"Um, question please?" Butterfly asked meekly, receiving a smile from Daylight that encouraged her to continue. "Exactly how many bits are we planning to get out of this?"

Daylight blinked. "Wow, I... haven't exactly thought of an exact figure just yet. How much do we each need individually?"

"Well," Butterfly thought for a moment. "Angel's operation is supposed to cost around forty thousand bits, and I really don't want to take more than I need... so... I guess forty thousand for me."

"Cripes. That much for a rabbit's operation?" Hash gaped. "Getting my tonsils removed didn't cost that much."

"What about you, Commodity?" Daylight asked her fellow unicorn.

"I just need enough to keep myself afloat and keep Sweetie Belle provided for until I can pull in more clients," Commodity thought for a moment. "I don't know how long that could be, but I don't want to take any chances. I suppose somewhere around three to four hundred thousand will suffice."

"Seems a little excessive..." Hash remarked.

"I told you I'm not taking any chances!" Commodity shot back at her.

"Alright then," Daylight interrupted before an argument could arise. "OJ?"

"Welp, we need a purty fair amount o' apple trees ta make up fer everythin' we lost," OJ began. "We don't need ta replant the entire orchard right off the bat, though. We jus' need enough ta make sure we're pullin' in a descent profit and we can replant more trees as we go along. Still, Ah reckon we'll need at least twenty ta thirty trees ta get started, and that might cost us damn near a million bits."

Hash whistled; the figures we're getting more and more out of hoof. Daylight then turned to Candy.

"That nasty, mean ol' lawsuit cost the Cakes seven hundred thousand bits!" She exclaimed. "So I want that much... and maybe and extra hundred thousand for them to go on a nice, long vacation. I owe them that much."

"So, eight hundred thousand for you then, Candy," Daylight said. She then turned to Hash, and she could already feel her stomach turn as she remembered just what the pegasus was shooting for.

"Like I said before," Hash began. "The Wonderbolts are already loaded. I need to throw an insane figure their way if they're gonna take me seriously." She thought for a moment. "Honestly... I wouldn't feel comfortable walking out of that building with less than five hundred mil..."

Commodity just about fainted. "My word!"

"Land sakes, girl!" OJ exclaimed.

"Oh my," Butterfly squeaked.

Candy pulled out a random bottle of water and sucked a good portion of it down just so she could do a spit take.

"Five hundred million bits..." Daylight mused. She took a moment to come to terms with that fact... then gave a firm stomp of her hoof. "We'll make it happen, Hash!"

Hash gave a confident smirk while the others just looked at each other apprehensively. This was absolutely insane. What had they gotten themselves into? That was a question they hadn't really been asking themselves as often as they felt they should.

"As for me," Daylight announced. "The damage to the library estimated to about two-point-five million bits worth. So... there's my figure."

"Gosh, how much is that gonna amount to?" OJ asked.

"You know what I think we should do?" Hash said before they could start doing the math. "Let's just grab six hundred million, take what we need from that, and once we get our affairs in order, we'll split the remainder evenly amongst us to spend on whatever the hay we want." She took a moment to register their reactions. "C'mon! we deserve it after what we've been through!"

"I... I don't want to be greedy though..." Butterfly said softly.

"Well, if you don't want to take anything extra, Shy- I mean Fly! Butterfly! Then you don't have to. We'll just split it amongst the five of us. Cool?"

"Six hundred million bits," OJ said quietly. "We gonna be able ta fit that much in our bags?"

"If we grab the high value bits, the hundreds and thousands, we should be able to." Hash answered. "Hay, they might have single bits worth tens of thousands in there!"

"Ya really think so, Hashie?" Candy asked.

"In a big-wig city like this? Hay yeah!" Hash replied.

"Still... I imagine those bags are gonna be pretty heavy," Daylight pondered. "And on top of that, we're gonna have a long walk back home. Do we really want to be carrying that much weight on our backs?"

"That's assuming we even get out of the city," Commodity butted in. "Think about it; do you really think a group of mares with ski masks and guns in their hooves because we're certainly not going to be able to fit them back in our bags- will go unnoticed? Even in a city like this?"

Silence followed... shattered by a angry groan from Hash. "Shit!" She then stomped angrily. "YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS EASY, CAN YOU?"

"Da- Hash, who are you talking to?" Daylight asked angrily.

"I dunno!" Hash spat. "The... Powers that Be, I guess!"

Daylight shook her head. "Whatever. The point is, we need a faster way of getting out of the city once everything's taken care of." She only took a brief second to think before telekinetically pulling her saddle bag and rifle to her. "Get your guns together, girls. We're going out."

The five mares stared at each other apprehensively, fearing the situation was getting more and more out of hoof... and that their normally level-headed friend was going off the deep end... again.

"Twi- I mean, Daylight, dear?" Commodity called over to her. "May I ask why we are going out at this time?"

The lavender unicorn, who was already headed for the door, turned back to her with a confident smirk on her face.

"We're getting ourselves a getaway car."

* * *

_**Well, now I've got a new challenge on my hands; remembering thier code names. Heh, shouldn't be a problem, though. If I accidentally call them by their real names at any point, just let me know and I'll fix it. Thanks for reading! Keep on reviewing! More soon! Yadda Yadda Yadda!**_


	18. Grand Theft Ponies

**Chapter Eighteen:**

**Grand Theft Ponies**

It was almost too easy; a large black van sat parked right at the end of a narrow ally, far removed from the rest of the bustling city. The Mane Six stared at it longingly, almost ravenously. They had been walking for the good part of three hours, with it now being full dark out, searching for any particular vehicle that would suit their needs. It was almost torture, walking through city streets packed with cars... and not being able to commandeer any of them. Even in a city as morally corrupt as Manehatten, a car-jacking in the public view of thousands of ponies wouldn't go unnoticed. They had to be out of public view for this. And on top of that, they couldn't just have any old four door vehicle; they needed something large enough to hold not only all of them, but the ridiculously large amount of bits they would be carrying with them.

And now, it finally appeared as though luck was on their side... and it was about damn time. A van that size was just perfect.

"So, um... what do we do now?" Butterfly asked shyly.

"We break into the damn thing and steal it," Hash replied, cocking her rifle.

"How'r we s'posed ta do that?" OJ asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her tone.

"We bash a window in with one of our rifles, unlock it from the inside, hot wire it, then blow on outta there," Hash answered promptly.

"How _do _you know these things, dear?" Commodity asked.

"Grand Theft Carriage had a car mod, I learned it from that."

Commodity just gave her an odd look. "I don't even know what that is."

"You wouldn't," Hash snarked. "I get all my knowledge from video games."

"Um, Hash? If you already know so much about cars, then why were you so amazed when you saw a car for the first time?" Butterfly asked meekly. "Um, if you don't mind me asking that is."

"Well, because when used the car mod for the first time, I thought cars were just a video game creation," Hash explained. "I had no idea those things existed in real life. I started hearing about 'em after a while possibly becoming a real mode of transportation in Equestria. And then miss Prissy over there," she gestured to Commodity, receiving an eye roll in return, "mentioned them when we were in the Everfree Forest, and that's when I knew this had to be for real. But seeing one up close and in person for the first time... it was pretty awesome. Definitely not the same as seeing one in the game."

"Oh, okay," Butterfly said softly. "I'm sorry; I wasn't trying to imply you were hiding anything for us. I was just curious."

"I know, I know," Hash gave Butterfly a friendly pat. "I've had so much on my mind lately that it never occurred to me to share what I know about cars. I'll try to change that now." She then turned to the lavender unicorn next to her. "So, ya ready to do this, Twi?"

The lavender mare gave Hash a nasty glare and turned away from her, turning her nose up and closing her eyes.

The pegasus stared at her friend with confusion. "Uh, Twi? What's your beef with me?"

... Silence from the unicorn.

"Twi? I'm talking to you!" Hash snapped.

"I don't know who this 'Twi' you're referring to is," Daylight said.

"What are you...? Oh, right," Hash blushed a bit and face-hoofed. "Sorry, Twi- I mean Daylight. Kinda easy to forget, ya know?"

"Well you'd do well to remember," Daylight chided. "We need to get into the habit of using these names if we're going to be successful. One slip-up inside that bank, and we're done for. You understand? This is very serious!"

"I do, Day, I do!" Hash threw up her hooves in defense. "Trust me, nopony is taking this more seriously than me! I'm sorry for the screw up. It won't happen again, I swear."

"See that it doesn't," Daylight snapped. "Now, does anypony here know _how _to hot wire?"

"Yeah, it's something to do with rubbing a couple of wires together, I think," Hash answered. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"Oh my, that sounds dangerous..." Butterfly squeaked, trembling a bit.

"Nah, it's nothing I can't handle," Hash said proudly, puffing out her chest. "We'll be breezin' through Manehatten in no time!"

"Um, girls?" Butterfly said shyly. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I think the van just moved."

"What?!" Daylight cried as she quickly snapped her attention to the van. It was still there, as motionless as ever. "You sure, Butterfly? It's still sitting right there."

"Well, um, I'm pretty sure I saw it jerk to the side a moment ago," Butterfly replied, hiding behind the curtain of her pink mane.

"Oh, it jerked to the side is what you meant?" Daylight said with a sigh of relief. "I thought it was taking off or something." She took another look back at the still stationary van, and, it did indeed make a slight jerk to the side.

"What in tarnation?" OJ said, clearly baffled.

"I think that van might still be occupado!" Candy cried loudly.

"Candy, shush!" Daylight hissed at her. "If there are ponies in that van, we don't want them to hear us!"

"I... don't think they're gonna hear us, Day," Hash said slowly.

"And why do you think that, Hash?" Daylight asked with mild annoyance in her tone.

"Because the ponies in that van may be a little too preoccupied with each other to notice anything else... if ya know what I mean."

Daylight gave her friend a deeply confused look. "I'm pretty sure I _don't _know what you mean, Hash."

Hash face-hoofed and shook her head. "Really, Daylight? A van at the end of an alleyway, out of view of the public, rocking back and forth... and you have _no_ idea what it could possibly mean?"

Though Daylight still looked a bit confused, the other girls seemed to know what Hash was implying.

"Ya mean ta tell me...?" Was all OJ could get out.

"Oh how horribly uncouth!" Commodity cried dramatically.

"Um, that's quite disgusting... if you don't mind me saying," Butterfly whimpered.

Candy, meanwhile, was too busy snickering at the idea of what was going on in that van to say anything. Sure, it was immature of her, but she really didn't care; everypony was entitled to be a little immature every once in a while.

"So, what now?" OJ asked angrily. "We wait fer 'em finish, 'r what?"

"We're not gonna wait for them to finish! Are you kidding me, OJ?" Hash shouted at her. "There's no way we're cruising around town in a van stained with jizz!"

"Oh, thank you for the wonderful mental image, Hash!" Commodity sniffed in annoyance. "Still, you make a valid point I suppose."

"You're absolutely right, Hash," Daylight stepped in. "We're not waiting for them to finish. They might take off before we can get to them. We're just going to have to interrupt their little ooh la la."

"Oh, that seems rather rude," Butterfly muttered shyly. "But, then again, doing something like _that _in a public area isn't very considerate either."

"It's not really a public area, Shy- I mean Fly," Hash said, gently pounding her hoof against her forehead to force herself to remember her friends nickname. "This alley's pretty far out of the way of anypony's view."

"Oh, so I guess they just assumed that nopony would ever come walking down here for any reason," Commodity said with a roll of her eyes.

"Okay, girls," Daylight stepped in. "We can argue the moral ramifications of public showing of affection later. Right now, we have to get a hold of that van before it leaves."

"Twi's right, let's get this over with," OJ said as she pumped her shotgun.

"Dammit, OJ!" Daylight hissed at the earth pony, who quickly caught her mistake before Daylight could point it out.

"Ah mean Daylight! Daylight!"

The lavender unicorn sighed in annoyance and brought a hoof to her forehead, rubbing it gently. She was absolutely terrified; all it would take was one slip-up, just one, and everything would be over for them. Her friends just couldn't afford to be that stupid. She did absolutely nothing to hide her disappointment at this, and it caused OJ to bite her lip and shuffle her hooves in embarrassment.

Without another word, Daylight hit the area with a sound proofing spell, pulled on her ski mask, her horn protruding through a small hole she poked through it, then levitated her AR15 and started down the alley, her friends following close behind, their masks on (Commodity's horn protruding through hers) and weapons drawn as well. When they were about halfway to the van, Daylight took a quick glance over her shoulder to see if they had somehow attracted unwanted attention. Thankfully, the citizens of Manehatten were as blissfully ignorant as ever; they slogged through the city streets and sidewalks like mindless drones, some of them seeming to stare directly at the ground as they walked.

_Celestia bless this city. _Daylight thought to herself with a smirk. It was time to put their intimidation tactics to the test.

When they were right up next to their target, Daylight motioned for the others to get down low and move slower. They looked like army commandos navigating a deadly combat zone, and Daylight had to do her best to keep from snickering, particularly at Commodity, who was starting to look more and more like a natural badass, her usual elegance slowly fading. Daylight quickly shrugged those giggles away and focused on the task at hoof. She was right beside the front drivers side door, her back pressed against it. Her friends copied her actions, staring at her intently, as though they were putting the entire weight of the mission on her back.

_No pressure, huh?_

Slowly, she peeked up into the window, adjusting her eyes to make out the scene within the darkness of the van. She could barely make out the forms of a rather heavy-set mare sitting atop and facing a much smaller stallion sitting in the drivers seat. Judging from their movements, it was pretty obvious that they were indeed doing what the six mares had feared they were doing. They didn't even notice the lavender face peaking in at them.

"They screwin' or what?" Hash's voice came from behind her.

"Aw, they're at it like there ain't no tamorrow," OJ said from the other side of the van. She was peeking in through the passenger window.

"Not for long, they're not," Daylight said coolly.

In one swift move, she brought her rifle up and, with every ounce of strength her magic could muster, smashed it against the window with a loud, glass shattering noise. Following that loud noise was an ear-splitting scream, accompanied by a masculine "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

On the other side of the van, OJ followed Daylights example and smashed the butt of her shottie against the passenger window. And just like with Daylight, the window shattered instantly, sending little glistening marbles of glass flying everywhere. Both mares aimed their weapons at the frightened lovers, who were both were both physically shaking and staring wide-eyed at their attackers. Hash and Commodity moved up behind Daylight, their weapons aimed at the couple as well, while Candy and Butterfly moved in behind OJ. Daylight could hear Hash doing her best to stifle some chuckles, most likely due to the rather comical position they had found their victims in.

"Good evening, lovebirds!" Daylight greeted in mock cheerfulness. "Nice night for a romantic interlude, eh?"

"Wh-what do you want with us?" The stallion asked shakily. He was rather young; probably not much older than the punks they encountered on their first night. His marefriend seemed significantly older than him, and was not, putting it nicely, particularly attractive. She was rather grizzled and rough around the edges, like a victim of several years of sucking on cancer sticks.

"What we want," Hash began, hovering past Daylight, sticking her rifle into the van and holding it right under the young stallions chin, "is for you and your marefriend here to get the FUCK OUT OF THE VAN AND GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND!"

The grizzled old mare let out a gravelly whine and squeezed her lover tightly. "Oh, please don't hurt us!" She cried in a raspy voice, similar to what Hash would probably sound like when she got older.

"Only ones who get hurt are smartass ponies who don't do what we say!" Hash hissed threateningly at them. "Now get out of the fucking van and get on the ground!"

Shakily, the young stallion reached over and pushed the door open. He and his lover then struggled greatly to get themselves out of the van. The heavy set mare seemed unable to properly pull herself off the stallion. It was a rather difficult position for them to get out of, but they received no sympathy from the six mares. Their patience was being severely tested right then and there; though the area was soundproofed, it wouldn't do anything to prevent any passerby from checking in on the scene. Has lousy a city Manehatten was, there had to be some good Samaritans out there, and they couldn't couldn't afford to wait around for one to show up.

Nearly three minutes had passed, and two were still entangled with each other and no closer to getting out of the van. Daylight, an enraged glare on her face, brought her rifle right up against the side of the mares face. "You have ten seconds to get out of there or I'm gonna splatter your face with your marefriends brains!" She spat.

The mare was full on crying now, and she pretty much pushed herself off the stallion with full force and tumbled out of the car. The stallion squirmed out shortly after, landing on top of her.

"Now both of you go sit down against the wall and don't move a muscle!" Daylight snapped.

The two ponies did as instructed. The older mare was sniffling and sobbing freely, while the young buck looked to be a bit more along the lines of nervous, rather than terrified. He was definitely holding himself together better than the mare.

Meanwhile, Daylight climbed into the driver seat and attempted to familiarize herself with what lay in front of her; a series of dials and gauges that she couldn't even begin to comprehend the meanings of, especially through the obscurity of the ski mask. From behind her, she head another door open. She turned to see Candy, Commodity and Butterfly climbing in through the back.

"Wow, there's plenty of space in here!" Candy said happily. "We really lucked out with this thing, huh girls?"

"Sure did, sugarcube," OJ said as she climbed into the passenger side. "Now we just gotta figure out how this gal darn thing works." She turned to Daylight. "How ya doin' there, Day?"

The lavender unicorn didn't answer right away, as she was still baffled by the dashboard in front of her. "Um... I don't think I know how this stuff works..." she muttered.

"What, you never read a book on this kind of thing?" Hash remarked, still focusing on the two freaked out ponies in front of her, her rifle trained on them.

"Hash, up until a few days ago I didn't even know these things _existed,_" Daylight said, frustrated.

"You want me to help ya out?" Hash asked. "I think I might know a thing or two about what's what in there."

"That's be nice, Hash," Daylight said, throwing her hooves up in frustration as she gave up on trying to understand the dashboard. "But we still need somepony to watch the two lovebirds over there." She nodded her head to the frightened couple.

"I will do it," Commodity offered as she exited out the back of the van. Truth be told, she was happy to get out of the rather dank and musty vehicle. It was by no means the kind of vehicle she would prefer to travel in should she ever come to own one. However, for the purposes of their robbery, she admitted it would suffice. As she prepared to switch places with Hash, the shaky voice of the stallion grabbed their attention.

"She's... not my marefriend."

Hash turned to look at him again. "What?" She snapped.

"I, uh... just thought you should know she's not my marefriend," the young buck said sheepishly, unable to make eye contact.

Hash gave him a hardened glare and pointed her rifle right under his chin. "You gonna be a smartass now!?" She spat viciously at him.

"NO! No no no no no!" The stallion cried. _Now _he looked scared. "I just thought you should know... that she's not my lover."

Hash gave a quick glance at the grizzled old mare next to him. It became quite clear to her now just who this mare was and what she did for a living. Hash would've chuckled if she wasn't playing a tough mare at that moment, so she quickly turned back to the young buck. "I don't give a damn if she's your _sister_! You say one more word and I'm putting a bullet in all four of your legs, got it?" She hissed.

The stallion nodded fearfully, and Hash, just to show that she wasn't fucking around, fired a shot right between his hind legs, causing him to jump and the mare to scream. Hash gave them a nasty smirk and turned to help Daylight as Commodity stepped up to take her place.

"Alrighty, lemme get a good look at this baby," Hash said as she leaned in to examine the dashboard. She point a hoof at one of the strange looking meters. "Well, I'm guessing this one here has something to do with the speed of this thing." She looked to another, smaller meter. "And I think this one here is, like, some kind of temperature gauge for the engine or something."

"A temperature gauge?" Daylight queried.

"Yeah, I'm guessing if the engine gets to hot or something it craps out on us," Hash explained.

Daylight frowned a bit at that. Hash just shrugged and turned back to the dashboard. "Now, this one here," she pointed at another gauge. "This... might be some kind of fuel measuring thingy, I'm guessing."

"Fuel?" Daylight raised an eyebrow in confusion. "These run on a fuel of some kind?"

"I guess so," Hash replied. "Look, I'm not a hundred percent sure on any of this stuff; I'm just going by what I've heard about these things. I could be wrong."

While Daylight was normally eager to learn about new things, she had to admit these motorized vehicle things didn't sound like a very appealing invention. She wasn't particularly fond of them when she first laid eyes on one, what with all the fumes and exhaust emanating from them. And now she was finding out that they had to be fueled in order to work, and ran the risk of overheating with use.

_And these are supposed to completely replace chariots some time in the near future? _She thought to herself. _So many inconveniences..._

"But one thing I'm one hundred and twenty percent sure of," Hash continued, "is that this do-hicky here is for steering." She tapped the black leather steering wheel in front of her. "And that little key right there," she gestured to a small silver key sticking out of a slot next to the wheel, "is what starts this baby. I guess we won't have to worry about hot wiring, huh?" She sounded a little disappointed at that; she had really wanted to show off her skills at car theft.

Daylight placed the flat of her hoof against the end of the key, prodding it and pushing it, trying to figure out how it worked. Hash just watched intently, she, herself not entirely sure what was supposed to be done at that point.

Meanwhile, Commodity kept a close eye on the two unlucky ponies, her rifle hovering right next to her. She gave a particularly nasty glare at the gross old mare, not even caring that the probably couldn't see it through the mask, though she was glaring coolly back up at her. She was definitely still scared, but this ivory unicorn wasn't nearly as intimidating as the rainbow-maned pegasus.

"Quite a lifestyle choice you've made, my dear," Commodity said coldly. "Selling your body for sexual gratification; you must be oh so very proud."

The mare scoffed. "You girls ain't doin' too bad yourselves," she muttered sarcastically.

"Mind your tongue, dearie," Commodity threatened. "You seem to forget who's holding the gun here."

The mare exhaled sharply, but said nothing more. She instead turned to glare at the young stallion sitting next to her, as if she was blaming him for getting her into this situation. He didn't notice her glare, though; he just couldn't take his eyes off the rifle aimed right at their heads, fearing that at any second the unicorn could just decide to be rid of them and magically squeeze the trigger. They'd be gone before they even knew what happened.

The sudden roar of an engine struggling then coming to life snapped their attention back to the van.

"Alright! We're in business!" Hash cheered.

From the back of the van, Candy whooped and hollered joyfully, while OJ and Butterfly simply smiled.

"Are... are you guys taking my parents van?" The young buck asked.

"Eeyup," Hash answered, giving her best Big Macintosh impression, drawing an angry glare from OJ.

"Aw, their gonna kill me when they find out!" He moaned.

"Ah, don't worry; they won't have to..." Hash said as she cocked her rifle and aimed it at him. The stallion's lip began to tremble, and incomprehensible whimpers escaped his throat. Hash let this go on for a few seconds before bursting out laughing and pointing her rifle away from him. "Nah, I'm just messin' with ya, man. But... we are gonna have to make sure you don't do anything stupid, like follow us or call the cops."

The pegasus lowered herself down to him, savoring the fear in his eyes. He turned to look at his choice of tail for the night, and she just gave him a look that said "Just go with it."

"Wh-hy is this happening to me!?" He burst out crying. It was a rather pathetic sight.

"Just do what we do," Hash said as she leaned in closer to him. "Blame our parents."

WHACK! She struck him across the face with the butt of her rifle, sending him to the ground unconscious in an instant. The mare next to him shuddered a bit, but didn't scream, which Hash was very grateful. Of course she would have to be dealt with too, but seeing as she wasn't being as annoying as the buck, she earned the right to stay conscious for a little while longer.

"Hash, did you really have to scare him like that?" Daylight asked from the front seat of the car.

"Yep, he was annoying," Hash replied briskly. "Complaining that his parents were gonna be mad at him for losing the car? This guy's gotta be in his twenties and he's still living with his parents? Loooooooooosssssseeeerrrrrrr !" She then noticed the small saddle bag next to his flank, and smiled. "Sorry, buddy, I'm taking your allowance." She dug through his bag and managed to pull a couple hundred bits worth from it. Not much, but it felt good to take a step in the right direction, however small it was.

"Clever thinking on your part, Hash," Commodity commended her friend as she watched her dig through the saddle bag. "I don't think it would've occurred to me to check their bags for money."

"You wanna check her?" Hash asked, nodding to the mare on her right.

"I suppose," Commodity replied.

The unicorn set herself down next to the disgusting old mare and pulled away her saddle bag. Amazingly, the mare did nothing to stop her. In fact, she looked more along the lines of tired and defeated rather than scared. As Commodity dug through her saddle bag and pulled out a rather decent sum of a couple thousand bits, the grizzled mare finally spoke up.

"Look miss, can I say somethin' real quick?"

"I don't know, can you?" Commodity flatly replied as she counted the bits in her hooves.

"_May _I say somethin' real quick?" The mare asked in a tone of annoyance.

"It had _better_ be quick," Commodity answered in a slightly threatening tone.

"Look, um," the mare began, stumbling over her words. "This ain't the first time I've been threatened like this. This kind of job tends to lead to that kind of thing. I ain't proud of what I do, okay? But it's all I know; it's all I can do just to scrape by."

"I see that as no excuse," Commodity said, turning her attention to the mare now that her bits were all placed in her own saddle bag. "Life is hard for everypony; only those of strong will and backbone can overcome those hardships and succeed in life without lowering themselves to such vulgar practices. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case with you."

The older mare seemed a bit hurt by Commodity's words, and honestly, the unicorn felt a slight pang of guilt, not to mention a bit of hypocrisy. After all, was she not lowering herself to a vulgar practice in order to get by?

_No, this is different. _Commodity thought to herself confidently. _I am not making a living of this. I am just trying to get by for a little while... and I'm doing it for my sister._

"Well, I... I just..." the older mare stumbled over her words. "I ain't asking you to pity me or anything, but could you maybe just let me keep a twenty or something? Just a twenty? I have a kid I need to feed and take care of."

"So do I," Commodity said as she stood back up and prepared to slam the butt of her rifle against her.

But as she gazed down at the sorry sight, feelings of sympathy began to flow through her. The grizzled old mare didn't look remotely frightened anymore, just broken down and defeated; on the verge of tears. She stared blankly at the ground, just waiting for the blow to come. Commodity could easily believe that this mare had been threatened and brutalized many times before. by this point, it probably wasn't so scary to her anymore... just disheartening. She did truly believe that there was no excuse for what his mare or any mare like her did for a living. But, even the mare didn't want to be pitied, Commodity couldn't help but feel just that; pity.

As the old mares eyes began to burn with tears, she heard a small clinking noise and saw couple of small gold bits roll directly up to her. Both were fifties, enough to get her by for a little while longer, until she could start making a profit again. She lifted her head to see the ivory unicorn walking away from her, preparing to climb into the back of the van.

Commodity didn't take one look back; she just wanted to get out of there and get on with the mission. She and her friends were nowhere near the amount they needed to fix their problems with the few bits they managed to scrape together the past couple days, and she had just placed them a small step back by giving away a hundred bits to what she considered a pathetic excuse for a mare. A pathetic excuse for a mare... with a foal... who didn't deserve to pay for his/her mothers mistakes.

No matter how much she had changed over the past few days, her generous nature would always be a part of her.

* * *

"Alright, I think I've got this thing figured out!" Daylight announced proudly to everypony in the van.

She then proceeded to explain to them what everything did and how they worked. OJ, who was sitting next to her in the passenger seat, had gotten a hold of an owners manual in the glovebox. Twilight gave it a quick skim and found out just about everything she needed to know. Hash had been surprisingly accurate with a lot of what she had said earlier. Maybe those video games did have an educational quality to them in some ways. Maybe when all this was over, Daylight would consider buying Spike that X-Buck he always pestered her for.

So," Daylight began, pulling off her mask "now we just-"

"I wanna drive! I wanna drive!" Candy cried out as she made her way from the back of the van towards Daylight.

"Um, Candy?"

"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! It'll be fun!" Candy grabbed Daylight and just about physically yanked her from the seat.

"AUUGH! Candy, wait!" Daylight cried. "You don't have the same feel for it as I do! And you don't how certain things work!"

"I'll learn as I go," Candy stated quickly as she settled herself into the drivers seat and pulled off her mask.

"Uh, sugarcube, Ah really think ya oughta let Daylight handle this," OJ interjected. "Ah don't mean ta insult ya 'r nuthin', it's jus' that Daylight seems better qualified fer drivin' this thing."

"Oh, phooey on you!" Candy spat. "I'm not a baby! I can handle this thing!"

"Candy, dear, we are not trying to insinuate that you're a baby," Commodity said soothingly. "It's just that Daylight seems to understand this better than the rest of us."

"Phooey on you too! I know I can do this!" Candy began messing with everything in front of her, causing the van vibrate and make strange noises.

"Um, Candy, I don't mean to sound rude, but it feels what your doing is going to cause the van to explode," Butterfly murmured.

"Phooey on all of you!" Candy shouted dramatically. At that moment, she pushed her hoof down on a black lever next to her seat. Everypony could feel a strange shift in van, as if something had released.

"Well, she managed to release the emergency brake," Daylight said with slight relief. Maybe she would let her crazy friend have a go at driving. She might do just fine.

Candy then noticed another similar lever to the side of the emergency brake. Letters like P, R, N, and D lined the side of it. Without even thinking of what she was doing, she began pushing it up and down vigorously.

"Candy? Candy, we need to back up; put it in reverse," Daylight explained. "Set it so it's next to the R."

Candy did just that, and slowly the van started rolling backwards.

"Wow, maybe she's got this after all," Hash remarked. She and the others had pulled their masks off as well.

"Ya see, you all should know better than to doubt Pinkie Pie- I mean Candy by now!" Candy boasted.

"Yes, you're doing fine so far," Daylight said calmly. "Now, let's try speeding up a little. You see that the little pedal on the floor next to your hoof?" She pointed to the gas pedal. "Just slowly and gently push down on-"

Candy floored it, and the van shot backwards out of the alley and into the busy streets of Manehatten. The grizzled old mare, who was still sitting by the wall, watched wide-eyed as the van sped off.

"Fuckin' nutjobs," she muttered.

From inside the van, five of the six mares screamed loudly and held each other as they were thrown all around the interior, with OJ gripping the sides of the passenger seat for dear life. Candy, however, was smiling gleefully as she spun the steering wheel and straightened the van out onto the street, sending other cars screeching out of it's way, their horns blaring. The van continued to travel backwards at full speed, and Candy could barely make out what was behind her with the side mirrors.

"CANDY STOP!" Daylight cried out in fear. "HIT THE BREAK! HIT THE BREAK!"

"WHAT BREAK?" Candy shouted back to her.

"TO THE LEFT OF THE GAS PEDAL! THE LEFT!"

Candy looked down and noticed the much wider pedal next to the one she was pressing down on. She shifted her hoof to it and pressed down hard. Daylight, Commodity, Butterfly, and Hash all went smashing into the rear door of the van and landed in a heap. The van screeched for several feet before coming to a complete halt. Everypony aside from Candy and OJ (who was still clutching her seat tightly with her eyes shut tight) moaned and groaned as they climbed to their hooves.

"Candy..." Daylight panted, trying to remain calm. "Get... out... of the drivers seat..."

Candy said nothing at first. She was completely still, almost as if she was frozen in place. Then... "That... was... absolutely unbelievably positively AMAZING!"

Daylight flinched at Candy's sudden shriek. But before she could say anything further, Candy reached over and flipped the gear shift so it was on D.

"D for 'Do it', right?" She asked, and without even waiting for an answer, she floored it again, and the van went zipping through the streets of Manehatten.

The screaming of the five mares inside was almost louder than they engine.

* * *

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" OJ repeated over and over again, her hooves covering her face.

For the past five minutes, Candy had taken her friends on the thrill ride of their lives. Or, at least that's what she believed. What the four mares in the back of the van had been through was more like the battering of their lives. They had been slammed against the sides of the van numerous times, bashed into each other, and basically given and example of what it's like being in a dryer.

And all the while, Candy remained blissfully unaware of this. For such a big, bulky van, the thing sure was agile. She was weaving in between cars, making sharp turns, and racing along the side walks when the traffic became too thick. She discovered how the horn worked a while ago, and was putting it to good use with getting pedestrians to dive out of the way before she could flatten them into the pavement.

OJ lowered her hooves and decided to chance a quick glance out the window. She instantly regretted it; the world outside was nothing but a blur of swirling lights and darkness, and it immediately twisted her stomach up in knots. How candy was able to tell what was going on out there, she would never know. She just covered her eyes again and prayed for it all to be over soon.

"Woo! Look out, Manehatten, Candy's on the loose!" Candy cried out as she took another ridiculously sharp turn, this one nearly tipping the van over. Quick thinking by Hash diving over to the other side of it was what ultimately prevented it from flipping.

"PINKIE, PLEASE STOP!" Daylight cried, deciding to momentarily drop the code name in hopes that her friend would realize how serious she was being. "YOU'RE GONNA KILL US ALL!"

"No I won't, silly!" Candy replied, not taking her eyes off the road. "And you goofed up with my name! Shame on you!"

"PINKIE, CANDY, WHATEVER! JUST STOP! EVEN IF YOU DON'T END UP KILLING US, YOU'LL BRING POLICE DOWN ON US!"

"If I do, I'll get away from them!" Candy turned for a moment to look at Hash, deeply disturbing Daylight by taking her eyes off the road. "Hashie, how did you get away from the police on Grand Theft Carriage?"

"Uh, I don't think hiding behind a dumpster until the wanted stars go away works in real life, Candy!" Hash replied, trying to keep her balance as the van swerved all about.

"Hmm..." Candy pondered that fact. "Well, I'm sure I could outrun them if I had to, but maybe I could-"

"CANDY, WATCH THE FUCKING ROAD!" Daylight screamed as she noticed they were about to blaze through a crowded intersection.

"Whoopsie!" Candy quickly turned to face forward. "Hang on tight, girls!"

The van hit full speed, clearly indicating that Candy had no intention of stopping. Now, the four mares in the back were covering their heads in a similar manner to OJ. "Tell me when it's over!" Commodity cried.

With every second that passed, Daylight waited for what she thought would be an inevitable crash. But it never came. Like threading a needle, Candy expertly maneuvered the van through the crowded intersection, swerving between perpendicularly moving cars effortlessly. A brief loud scraping sound suggested that they may have grazed the front or rear of one of the crossing cars. As relieved as Daylight was to still be alive, she couldn't help but wonder just how much destruction the pink pony was causing throughout the city... and if there were any casualties as a result.

Another five minutes of insanity passed before Daylight managed to get a look out one of the windows. To her great shock and mild relief, she saw that they were speeding right alongside the river. And if that was the case, then-

"Look girls! There's the warehouse! I knew I'd get us there!" Candy bragged.

Sure enough, their base of operations was rapidly approaching them from the side. Through some great miracle, the crazed pink pony had managed to get them to their temporary home without getting them killed or alerting any authorities. Daylight guessed that they had either lucked out by not running into any police, or that the Manehatten Police Force was extremely inept. She hoped for the latter; it would make tomorrows robbery much easier. For the briefest of moments, everypony in the van managed to smile hopefully. Even OJ found the courage to peek out between her hooves.

"Okay, you did good, Candy!" Daylight said, know she was lying a bit about the whole "you did good" part. "Now, just slow it down a bit and take us nice and easily around the corner of the build-" she was cut off there as the van took another sharp turn onto the dock. They were now heading at full speed straight for the edge, the bumpy surface of the dock causing the van to vibrate wildly. "CANDYYYYYYYYYYY!" Daylight screamed as she covered her head again.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Hash cried, bracing herself for whatever would come.

"I LOVE YOU ALL!" Butterfly screamed as she and Commodity held each other.

"AH'M COMMIN', PAPPY!" OJ shouted, turning her gaze skyward.

Candy rolled her eyes at her friends whining; she knew what she was doing, she just had to time it perfectly...

"3" Candy announced loudly, bracing herself for her next manuever.

"2" she wrapped her hooves around the steering wheel tightly.

"1" she lifted her hoof off the gas pedal.

"NOW!" She slammed her hoof on the break and spun the wheel to the left simultaneously.

The wheels screeched loudly, sending smoke and marbles of rubber flying everywhere. The ponies were all flung to the side of the van as it did a ninty degree spin. It was now sliding sideways towards the edge of the dock. It had slowed tremendously by that point, but would it be enough? By the time it was right on the edge, it was tilting on the drivers side. All it would take was for one of them to lean a little more to that side, and the van would tumble into the dirty, dark, freezing water below.

Nopony moved even an inch. They were all sweating and shaking profusely, the only noise being Hash silently muttering "pleasepleasepleasepleaseplea se..."

The van remained in that position for the longest ten seconds of their lives before the passenger side lowered back down to the ground with a resounding crash. Wordlessly, Candy set the gear shift to reverse, and without pressing on the gas, let the van slowly back up to a small section of dock along the far side of the warehouse, an area perfect for keeping the van hidden from public view.

Once the van was where she wanted it, Candy gently applied the brake, set the gear shift to park, and killed the engine.

A profound silence followed for what felt like an eternity. In reality, it was only about thirty seconds when Candy quickly spun around to face her friends. "So, how'd I do?" She asked with a wide smile.

She received no answer from them. Only deeply horrified and shaken expressions met her gaze. Commodity and Butterfly were still clinging to each other for dear life, While Hash was sitting in the fetal position in the far corner. As for Daylight, she looked like a pony who had just had her head shoved up Discord's ass and left there for a year before finally being pulled back out. Translation: She looked like Tartarus.

Candy's smile faltered a bit. And it was the sudden retching noise next to her that drew her attention next. OJ had just blown chunks all over the wind shield.

That reaction said it all: Candy was never driving again... EVER.

* * *

_**Ah, that was kind of a fun chapter to write. It's also pretty much the last semi-humorous one. The dark stuff definitely gets upped in the coming chapters. Honestly, I didn't expect to be as comedic with this story as I ended up being. I really wanted it to be pretty grim when I started out. But then again, the idea of the Mane Six robbing a bank definitely lends itself to some mildly comic situations when you really think about it. I just hope I'm making it all work. Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing, especially to those who have reviewed every chapter so far. That is what I call dedication! More soon! Oh, and if you happen to be reading this chapter on the day I posted it, happy Nightmare Night to ya!**_


	19. Monsters

**Chapter Nineteen:**

**Monsters**

Hash took aim with her AK47 at the edge of the dock. There was nothing but open water in front of her; no boats, no random late night swimmers, just open water. She had successfully managed to sneak away from the others; it was probably the one chance she would get to do this. With a confident smirk, she brought the tip of her hoof over the trigger and squeezed it.

FWOPM!

A grenade shot out from the bottom part of the rifle. It sailed through the air in an arc before slamming into the water below, just inside where Hash was sure the invisible sound proof barrier was. It exploded on impact with an ear-shattering bang, sending a massive geyser of water gushing upwards. Hash could practically feel the spray from where she was standing.

"Sweeeeeeeet," she said with a grin, happy that she actually managed to pull it off.

The instant she turned around to head back into the warehouse, she bumped right into the angry glare of her lavender unicorn friend. "Uh, heh heh... sup, Daylight?" She greeted weakly.

"Mind telling me what the hay that was all about!?" Daylight shouted angrily.

"What?" Hash shrugged. "I just wanted to give the grenade launcher a try. Since we're not gonna be shooting to kill -if it ever come to that- it seems likely that the grenade launcher won't get to see any action at all. I just wanted to see how it works. Besides, I made that crazy old bastard go all the way to the back room to get it for me last night, I figured the least I could do is make it worth the trip."

"I see," Daylight seethed through gritted teeth. "And did you ever stop to think that an explosion that might very well attract the attention of EVERY PONY IN THE CITY!"

Hash reared back at her friends sudden outburst, nearly falling of the dock and into the cold water below. "Don't freak out, Day!" She yelled back at her. "I kept it inside your damn sound proofing barrier! And even if they did hear it, do you really think they're gonna care? There are probably explosions happening in this city every day! I really don't think anypony cares anymore! Just look around; do you see any ponies rushing towards us? Do you hear any sirens?"

Silence followed. No sirens, no hoofsteps of approaching ponies. It was as if the explosion never happened. Daylight sighed and shook her head. "Well, it was still stupid of you." She said bitterly. "You shouldn't have requested the grenade launcher in the first place; I told you we wouldn't need it for this. But you just always have to go for the big showy stuff, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do, 'cause that's how I roll!" Hash declared, puffing out her chest in pride.

Daylight just sighed and shook her head. "Whatever, let's just go back inside; it's freezing out here." The two started back for the warehouse. "I should totally make you stand in the corner alongside Candy, you know?" Daylight added as they reached the door.

"Don't talk down to me, Twilight. I'm not a foal," Hash said nastily.

"It's Daylight!" The unicorn hissed.

"I know," Hash replied nonchalantly. "I just did that to annoy you."

Daylight groaned and pushed the door open, just wanting to let it go. She just didn't have it in her to argue anymore, especially not after her experience in the van. Inside the dimly lit warehouse, Butterfly, Commodity and OJ were gathered around the blueprints, studying them one final time, trying to get as good a feel for them as possible. Candy, however, was standing in one of the far corners of the warehouse, her forelegs folded and an angry pout on her face. Daylight had sentenced her to half an hour in the corner for nearly getting them killed with her reckless driving. As much as the pink pony tried to argue that she knew what she was doing and that they were never in any real danger, Daylight refused to let the terrifying experience go unpunished.

OJ turned back to look at the two as she heard them come in. She gave Daylight a look that was clearly asking what that explosion was a moment ago. Daylight just shook her head, indicating it was nothing to worry about. She and Hash trotted over to the others and began running their eyes over the blueprints as well. Everything was starting to sink in now; they had the layout of that building down perfectly in their heads, to the point where they could probably navigate it blind-folded, though with the ski masks on their faces and the fact that the building was going to be dark, they might as well be blind-folded.

"You know," Commodity said after a long silence. "For the first time since this whole journey began, I honestly feel ready to do this." Everypony turned to look at her. "For the past few days, I've been trying so hard to convince myself that what we're doing is necessary. But there was always a part of me that wouldn't let me believe it, that no matter how noble the cause may seem, there was no justifying this. Now... now that we've made it this far, and we have everything we need, I think that part of me has been silenced permanently. I know it won't be pretty, but it has to be done. There are so many others who will benefit from this aside from ourselves."

OJ nodded understandingly. "Ah feel the same way. Ah ain't ever gonna be proud of this, but when Ah think about it enough, it really does feel like the best option, 'r at least the most efficient."

"But what will we tell the others when we get back?" Butterfly asked. "I mean, um... how will they respond to seeing us come back home with so much money? I'm sure Angel and my other little animal friends won't be suspicious about anything. But what about the rest of you?"

"You kiddin' me, Fly?" Hash replied. "I think they're gonna be so happy to have things going well for them again that they won't care!""

"I don't think that will be the case, Hash," Daylight said cautiously. "They'll be happy, sure, but that doesn't mean they won't ask questions."

"Well, I already know I'm in the clear," Hash said proudly. "The Wonderbolts aren't gonna ask where I got the money, they'll just be happy to see it."

"I don't think Sweetie Belle is fully aware of my current financial crisis," Commodity said. "She knows thing's haven't been particularly well for us recently, but I don't think she understands the true severity of it. I assume she won't ask too many questions when she see's I'm able to provide for her better."

"Welp, it ain't gonna be easy fer me, Ah know that much," OJ said, shaking her head. "Ain't no way mah family's gonna accept this without askin' a whole heap o' questions."

"Couldn't you tell them that you went to go visit some of your family and they helped you out a bit?" Daylight offered.

OJ exhaled sharply and shook her head. "Well actually, the day you took us out ta the Everfree Forest ta lay out this whole robbery thing, Ah came back ta find we'd been mailed a few thousand bits by Breaburn and some other close relatives. News travels fast in the Apple clan, and Ah reckon they did what they could fer us, bless 'em. But, it weren't nearly enough ta get outta that pickle. Truth is, nopony in the Apple family's exactly rollin' in the bits, aside from maybe aunt and uncle Orange, but like Ah said before, those two have kinda fallen off our radar, and Ah ain't sure if they even know 'bout what happened to us." The earth pony sighed and shook her head again. "Can't believe Ah'm gonna hafta lie; it just ain't in mah nature, ya know? Still, Ah s'pose it's fer the best. Ah dunno, maybe Ah could tell 'em Ah found a winnin' lottery ticket blowin' in the wind 'r somethin'. Ah'm sure they'll be so happy to have things goin' right fer us again that they won't notice mah lousy lyin' skills."

Daylight chuckled a bit. "That's what I was planning on telling Spike, actually. I don't think that same excuse will work for two of us. Might arouse suspicion."

"You really think little Spikey Wikey will be curious about that kind of thing?" Commodity asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't put it past him," Daylight replied with a chuckle. "The little guy can be pretty sharp when he want's to be." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Maybe I could tell him Princess Celestia decided to send some bits after all; he might buy that." It would totally contradict what she had told him the morning she left; that Celestia wanted her to figure this out for herself, and that she wouldn't have accepted the Princess's help even if it was offered. But he knew she had her limits, and it wouldn't be hard to convince him that she had broken down and wrote a letter to her asking for aid. Even though he was in Canterlot at the time, he couldn't be around the Princess twenty-four/seven. It wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility that she could tell him she snuck a letter to her asking for aid and that he must not have been around when she got it.

But then, she wold probably tell the baby dragon of the letter, wouldn't she? And there was no way in Tartarus she was going to cancel the robbery and just request the aid of her mentor for real now. Mainly because she couldn't shake the feeling that the Princess was indeed testing them, and really wasn't going to offer her aid if it was requested. But also because... well... just look at what she and her friends had done for the past few days...

They had walked for three days to a city that only a couple of them were remotely familiar with. They had taken up shelter in an abandoned warehouse which they had acquired after brutally slaughtering some nihilistic punks in a mindless violent rage, during which none of them were in their right minds. Commodity... or rather Rarity (she supposed she could at least think of them with their real names) had taken a huge risk by photographing those blueprints for them (the fact that she refused to talk about how she did it was more than a little unsettling). They had robbed, tortured and eventually murdered a black market weapons dealer. They had trained extensively with their weapons and practiced intimidation techniques. And just moments ago they had stolen a car and been taken for the thrill ride of their lives.

By this point, they _had_ to go through with the robbery; the horrors of the past few days could not be for nothing.

"I'll think of something to tell him later," Daylight said eventually. "I'll feel more inclined to do so when I actually have those bits in my hooves."

Thankfully, everypony nodded contentedly. They then turned to Candy, who was no longer facing the corner. She had been watching them intently since the conversation started. Daylight didn't feel like scolding her for it though; she had too much on her mind for that. Instead, she smiled warmly at the pink pony and motioned for her to join them. Candy smiled back and happily bounded over to the group.

"What about you, Candy?" Daylight asked as she approached them. "What are you planning on telling the Cakes?"

Candy placed a hoof to her chin and pondered that for a moment. "Hmmm... I dunno," she said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Well, it's really something you should think about," Daylight told her. "I imagine they're not going to accept this without asking questions."

"Maybe you could tell 'em you found your parents and they decided to bail you out," Hash suggested. "You didn't tell them exactly where we were going; they might buy that you went back to your old rock farm."

Almost instantly, Candy's mane and tail went flat, and her bright pink body lost some of it's brightness. She frowned bitterly. "I'm not doing that," she stated flatly.

"Why not?" Daylight asked, a bit taken aback by her friends sudden change in temperament.

"My daddy wouldn't do that for me," Candy replied quickly.

"Candy, it doesn't matter if he would really do that for you or not," Daylight explained. "I'm sure the Cakes will believe you if you tell them they did. You haven't talked to them much about your parents, have you?"

Candy shook her head. "No."

"Well then what reason would they have to not believe you if they don't know much about your parents?" Commodity asked.

Candy just shook her head vigorously.

"You say your father wouldn't do that for you. What about your mother?" Daylight asked.

Candy shuddered and lowered her head, as if the very mention of her mother was taboo. Rarely had the ponies seen their zany pink friend look quite so serious and worn down. "That's impossible," she finally said.

"Impossible?" Daylight sounded confused. "How is it impossible? You told us your mother and father were both really hard on you. Was your mother worse? What happened there, Candy? What did they do to you that makes it so hard to-"

"STOP!" Candy suddenly roared, causing everypony to jump back in fright. "I- I said I don't like talking about them!"

"I-I'm sorry, Candy," Daylight said shakily. "I know we said you didn't have to tell us about them until you felt ready. But why won't you at least consider making up a story about them lending you money? It's not like you have talk about them that much."

"Because just thinking about them makes me all sicky icky!" Candy cried angrily.

"Candy... what did they do to you?" Hash stepped up, giving the pink pony a stern look.

"Hash, she doesn't want to discuss it. She's said so several times," Commodity chided.

"Yeah, and it's doing her a hay of a lotta good, isn't it?" Hash said sarcastically. "Look at her; she's a mess! She needs to talk about it."

"Maybe so, but it should be up to her to decide when she wants to. We've already been over this," Daylight said, starting to sound beyond tired.

"Look, I just wanna help her," Hash asserted. "It... it kills me to see you guys upset. Especially her. I'm supposed to always be there for my friends."

"I know, Hash. And you _are _always there for us. But you can't force somepony to accept help if they don't want it," Daylight explained.

"Now hold up a minute there, Daylight," OJ interjected. "Didn't ya once say that part o' bein' a good friend is accepting help when it's offered?"

"Well, yes but..." _Crap, I did say that once, didn't I. _"The... circumstances are different here. This is a real psychological problem we're dealing with. It's more complicated than just not accepting help with bucking apples. We need to approach this differently."

"YOU DON'T NEED TO APPROACH IT AT ALL!" Candy roared, once again causing everypony to jump. "JUST STOP TALKING ABOUT IT; IT'S MAKING ME GRUMPY, AND I HATE BEING A GRUMPY PANTS!"

"Candy, we're just-"

"MY DADDY WAS NOTHING BUT A MEANY BEANY NEENY McMEANY FACE!" Candy began to absolutely lose it. "HE WAS A BIG MEAN NASTY GROSSEY HORRIBLE... HORRIBLE..."

"Candy-"

"MURDERER!"

Silence followed, accompanied by a round of horrified looks. There was no way they could've hear her right.

"He was a... what?" Daylight said quietly.

Candy suddenly looked more beaten down and vulnerable than she had ever looked before. Her lip was trembling, and her eyes were welling up with tears. "He... he was a-"

The sudden sound of the warehouse door opening caused everypony to spin around, expressions of pure shock sketched upon their faces. Standing at the door was a large, well-built young stallion with a brown coat and black mane. He looked about the size of Big Macintosh, maybe a tad bigger.

"Nice job, Hash," Daylight hissed in a hushed voice to the pegasus. "Somepony heard the fucking explosion!"

"It was probably Candy's shouting!" Hash hissed back at her.

But much to their surprise, the stallion hadn't seemed to notice them yet. In fact, he seemed more interested in the warehouse itself than the ponies occupying it. He gazed around the dimly lit building with what appeared to be a satisfied smile on his face. It was a while before his eyes fell upon the six startled mares, and his face fell into an angry frown. He kicked the door closed behind him and began to advance on them. Though they looked nervous, Mane Six held their ground, watching him intently as he approached.

"Help you?" Daylight asked when he was close enough.

"Help me?" The stallion replied in a gruff voice. "You can start by explaining what the fuck you mares are doing in my warehouse!"

"_Your_ warehouse?" Commodity said incredulously. "I believe, my good sir, that the sign out front says this property is condemned."

"Not anymore, it ain't," the stallion said snarkily. "I'm plannin' on havin' this place refurbished, returned to its former glory if you know what I mean."

"This piece of crap?" Hash asked with a raised eyebrow. "No offense, buddy, but I don't think there are enough bits in Equestria to fix this place up. I mean, it's served us well enough for now, but it's always felt like just putting a hoof on the wrong floorboard would cause it to come crashing down. You guys ever feel that?" She turned to look at her friends, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, so... why don't you go find some other building to mess around with, huh?"

The stallion scoffed ans shook his head. "You kiddin' me? I've had my eye on this building for months. I've been commin' here every week to check up on it, plan stuff out," he explained as he paced in front of them. "I've seen way worse than this place, believe me. Now, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you ladies to kindly get the fuck out!"

While the others appeared to be offended by the stallions rudeness, Hash just snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, dude. I think I know why you're really here. You're gonna have to go find some other place to clop for the night; we're not leaving."

"Oooh," the stallion feigned offense. "Such language! You blow your daddy with that mouth?"

Everypony gasped. "How _dare _you?" Commodity hissed. Hash looked as though she were about to pounce on him.

"Look, what the fuck are you bitches doing in here anyway?" The stallion asked angrily. "You homeless or something? Dammit, I've always been lucky avoiding you hobos 'till tonight. I was starting to hope the mayor had you all secretly killed or something."

"Sir, may I ask what line of work you're in?" Commodity asked angrily. "I find it very difficult to believe a stallion with an attitude like yours could be involved in any kind of legitimate business."

"None o' your fuckin' business, that a good enough answer for ya?" The stallion snarked.

"Lovely," Commodity quipped.

"Look, pal," Hash stepped up again. "Why don't get lost and come back tomorrow. We'll be gone by then, but right now we need this place. And if I were you, I would really consider dashing on out of here as quickly as possible, 'cause right now I'm seconds away from feeding you your testicles!"

"Oh really?" He said coolly. "Guess what, babe; I hear that spiel everyday from my boss. He don't intimidate me none, and you sure as hay don't either."

"Your boss?" Butterfly suddenly stepped up. "Oh, so, um... your just an errand boy, is that it?" Though her voice was as soft as ever, there was a definite hint of venom in her tone.

"Don't test me, bitch!" He snapped at Butterfly.

"Don't ya go talkin' that way to our friend!" OJ came to the defense. "Why don't ya run along and get us some dinner, errand boy. Seein' how that's all ya appear ta be good fer. Maybe we'll consider lettin' go with all yer limbs intact."

"Why don't you get on your knees and suck me off, hick!"

"Ah'll _buck _ya off, it that's what ya want!"

"YOU FUCKIN-"

"Alright, that's enough!" Daylight shouted, effectively silencing everypony. She glared daggers at the gruff stallion. "You, my friend, have no idea what you're dealing with here. The last assholes who tested us did _not _walk away with out some serious harm done to them." She added quietly "In fact, most of them didn't walk away at all." Her voice rose again. "So, I'm going to give one last chance to turn around out of here and forget what you saw. And if you make one more nasty remark, you won't be walking out of here, you'll be crawling out on four broken limbs. You understand me?"

Instead of answering, the bulky stallion began staring around the warehouse again, as well as giving her friends scrutinizing looks. "Just what the hay is going on in here?" He asked. His eyes soon fell upon the blueprints lying on the floor behind them. The label "Bank of Equestria" definitely caught his attention. "The layouts to the Bank of Equestria? What the fuck...?" It was at that moment he caught a glimpse of the pile of C4 lying in one of the far corners. Even through the dim lighting he could make out what it was... and everything started to become clearer to him. And... was that an AK47 that pegasus was holding? "Are you... Oh shit!"

Panic set into the six mares as they realized they had been found out. He'd seen too much. Now, this stallion couldn't be allowed to leave... which was exactly what he attempted to do when he saw the looks they were giving him.

"Oh, fuck me!" He spun towards the door and bolted for it.

"Somepony stop him!" Daylight cried as she tried to hit him with her telekinesis

In one swift movement, OJ pulled her lasso from her saddle bag and flung it towards. She caught him around the neck and yanked him to the floor brutally.

"AUGHHH! YOU BITCHES!" He cried as he struggled to get away.

"Hurry, somepony tie 'im up!" OJ said through gritted teeth as she pulled the rope tight, dragging him over to the group.

Daylight used her telekinesis to hog tie the struggling stallion. It wasn't easy, but she managed to secure him before too long.

"YOU BITCHES KNOW WHO I AM!?" The stallion roared at them. "NOPONY DOES THIS TO ME! NOPONY! I HAVE POWERFUL FRIENDS ALL OVER THIS CITY! THEY'LL FIND YOU AND FUCK YOU ALL UP SO BAD YOU WON'T-"

_Whack!_

Hash silenced him with a swift kick to the head. "One more word and I'm smashing your head in!" She threatened. The stallion shot her a scathing glare, but quieted down nonetheless.

"Welp, this is another fine mess we're in, ain't it?" OJ groaned. "Now just what in the hay are we gonna do with this fella?"

"Well, we can't let him go now," Daylight said in annoyance. "He's seen too much."

Commodity sighed sadly. Tears began to form in her eyes. "So I suppose this is another poor soul who must meet an early end at our hooves."

"Well, I didn't say-"

"Dammit, Daylight, I don't want to kill anymore!" Commodity cried.

"We don't have to kill him!" Daylight snapped. "And in all honesty, I see no reason why we need to."

"Other than the fact he's a big-mouthed prick?" Hash asked bitterly.

"That's hardly a good reason to kill somepony, Hash!" Daylight scolded.

"I know! I just..." Hash struggled to find the proper thing to say. "Look, what kind of stallion walks around a city this time of night and just goes into an old abandoned warehouse and decides 'Hey, I think I'll fix this piece of shit up; give me somthin' to do', huh?"

"Their called renovator's, Hash," Daylight explained flatly. "Part of their job involves going around and checking out the buildings they plan on fixing before actually starting on it."

"At this time of night?" Hash said incredulously.

"Well, they always call Manehattan 'The City That Never Sleeps'..."

"Yeah, not buyin' it, Day. This guy could be some sort of crook; probably gonna turn this place into a front for the mob or something. Don't they usually like dark, dank old warehouses like this? You know, where they're well out of the way of any cops or citizens, and nopony can hear the screaming as they work somepony over with brass hooves or put their heads trough a vise or something. I don't trust this guy."

Daylight shot an angry glance at the hog-tied stallion. He returned it with an even greater intensity than her own. He looked as though he were about to burst out with a real whopper of a hate-filled rant, but was doing all he could to hold it back, perhaps out of fear for his life. It was at that moment she noticed his cutie mark: a pile of bits. The guy was clearly some kind of big spender; for who or what organization, it wasn't exactly clear.

"Who's your employer?" Daylight asked him in a calm tone.

"Your mothers crotch," he replied flatly.

Daylight gave him an enraged glare and shot a burst of magic at the floor next to him, leaving a black, smoking scorch mark. Much to her mildly sadistic pleasure, he flinched and made a bit of a yelping noise. She trotted up to him and brought herself down to his eye-level. "You are one smart-ass comment away from getting a hole blown through you. Don't test me again..." she hissed quietly into his ear. As she backed away from him, she noticed he was glaring defiantly at her, though there was no mistaking the slight hint of fear in his eyes.

"Daylight, listen here," OJ said as her friend approached the group again. "It don't matter what this guy is 'r who he works fer. Bottom line is we can't let 'im leave here. Ah reckon we're gonna hafta babysit his hide 'till we've gotten the 'you know what' over with tamorrow. We can decide what ta do with 'im once we've got that taken care of."

Daylight took a moment to ponder that. The looks her friends gave her didn't seem to help much, as they looked just as unsure of the situation as she felt. All except Candy, who's face was hidden by her sagging pink mane, though Daylight could practically feel anger wafting from her. She hadn't said a word since they were interrupted by the stallion. In fact, she seemed to not notice this new development at all.

_Did she really just call her father a murderer?_

Daylight shook that thought from her head; she could worry about that later. Right now, fate was once again giving it to them up the ass.

_Why, Celestia? Why?_

"Okay," Daylight announced in a hushed tone; she didn't want the stallion hearing them, making another crude remark, and giving her an excuse to tear him apart. "I think OJ has a pretty good idea of what needs to be done; we're just going to have to hold onto this guy for now."

"Great," Hash groaned. "Now we gotta put up with this guy's mouth for the whole night."

"Hey, I told him if he made anymore nasty comments, I'd make him pay for it."

"But you won't, will you," Butterfly said softly. "You don't hurt any more ponies, and none of us want to either. We've harmed enough ponies for one lifetime."

"I know, I know," Daylight hung her head and shook it. "This whole thing just keeps getting worse and worse. It's like a nightmare where everything just keeps going downhill until we all end up dead."

Butterfly shivered and squeaked in fear. "Don't say that, Daylight!" She chided.

"I'm sorry," Daylight apologized, hanging her head even lower. "The last thing we need is more negativity." She thought for a moment, breathing heavily as she did all she could to keep from screaming at the top of her lungs. Nearly a minute passed before she finally spoke again. "This is the best idea I can come up with: We hold onto him through the night, then toss him in the back of the van when we go to the bank tomorrow. We're not coming back to the warehouse once it's over so we can't leave him here. Once the deed's done, we haul flank out of the city until we're maybe halfway home. Then, we pull over and let him go... maybe with a bit of a bribe to keep his mouth shut."

Everypony groaned, with Hash face-hoofing. "Well, why don't we just toss half of what we take out the window while we're at it!" She said sarcastically.

"We don't have to give him _that _much," Daylight said. "Just enough to keep him quiet; maybe a couple hundred thousand will be sufficient."

"You kidding me? I don't wanna kiss this guys flank!" Hash said incredulously. "I agree, we can't let him go right now, but do we really have to pay him off to keep this whole thing under wraps? I say we just toss him out on the way back to Ponyville, still tied up, and he can figure out how to get out of that situation on his own."

"Hash, that's cruel!" Butterfly scolded. "What if he can't get out of his bindings and ends up starving to death by the side of the road?"

"Pfft, one less crook in the world," Hash replied with a 'who cares' shrug.

"We don't even know if he is a crook, though," Daylight pointed out.

"Oh, c'mon, Day! If he really is some kind of legit renovator, why won't he just tell us? And he said he had _powerful friends; _that's such an obvious mob phrase!"

Daylight had no answer for that. Truth be told, she didn't exactly feel too right about the guy, either. A pile of bits for a cutie mark could mean a lot of things, and not all them necessarily good.

_At least this guy _has _a cutie mark instead of just some lewd carving._

"And look at it this way," Hash continued. "If we do just abandon him by the road and he... doesn't make it... at least we rest easy with the fact that the environment killed him, not us."

"I think that would still be partially our fault, Hash," Daylight sighed. "Besides, what if he's found by somepony on the side of the road? He's seen all our faces; he can give out our descriptions and one day we're gonna find wanted posters all over Equestria saying we're the ones responsible for quite possibly the largest robbery in Equestrian history!"

Hash slammed a hoof down hard. She buried her head into the floor and growled with rage.

"RRRRRAAAGGHHHHHH! I FUCKIN' HATE THIS!"

A few moments of silence followed that outburst, the five mares staring sadly at their pegasus friend (four mares; Candy was still staring blankly ahead at nothing in particular). Then... there was chuckling, masculine chuckling. The group turned to look at hog tied stallion, and sure enough, he was glaring at them with a nasty grin on his face, his laughter making him sound almost like a nut.

"Something funny?" Commodity asked venomously.

"Ya ain't exactly in a position ta be laughin' at us, sugarcube," OJ added.

"Oh ho, you girls... you girls," he chuckled. "You fffffffuckin' lowlifes. All of you... ALL OF YOU!"

"What'd you call us, you punk!?" Hash cried as she attempted to attack him. But Daylight held her back.

"I said you're all a bunch of fuckin' lowlifes!" He screamed back at them. "Starting with that purple bitch right there," he nodded at Daylight. "What is she, your leader or something? I bet she's dumber than a sack of apples!" OJ gritted her teeth at the negative apple analogy. "She'd probably lead you all right off a cliff and wouldn't even know that you all were dead!"

Daylight just about screamed at him; she badly wanted to go on about how she had successfully led her friends through more perilous journey's than he could even begin to comprehend, but it would be wasted on him. He would never believe her.

"And you," he turned to Hash. "You act all tough and hardcore, when I'll bet deep down you're a pussy-ass coward who would leave her friends to die while trying to save herself."

Hash's glare could've melted a steel door. "Never in a million years..." she said in a voice trembling with rage.

The stallion then turned to OJ, who was already steeling herself for his hate-filled rant. "As for you, I'll bet you've never done an honest day's work in your life! Probably leech off others to get what you want, then lie and say it was all you!"

"Y-ya'll don't know nothin' 'bout me..." OJ said quietly, her eyes were burning with angry tears.

"Now you..." he turned to Commodity next. "You stick out like a sore hoof. You've got rich bitch written all over her! Just wasn't enough though, was it? Had to lower yourself to working with a gang of lower class to fulfill your needs! You greedy cunt!"

Greedy? That was an almost laughably inaccurate way to describe Commodity. But there was nothing funny about this situation. "How dare you..." she hissed in her lowest, most dangerous voice.

Next, he glanced over to Butterfly, who had poked her face out from her mane, her eyes narrowed. Even she couldn't hold back her anger as this stallion ripped apart her friends.

"Oh, little miss 'I don't want to hurt any ponies' huh?" He said snarkily. "Oh, I'll bet you're the real sadistic one! Probably put on the kind-hearted lovable one act around the others, than turn into crazy, torturing lunatic when their backs are turned!"

For one brief moment their eyes met, and the stallion had to turn away quickly to quell that unexplained feeling of dread that filled him.

Finally he turned to the pink earth pony who hadn't said a word since he had entered. "Oh, the quiet, psychotic type, ain't ya? Doesn't say a word... lets her actions speak for themselves? ... You're the biggest fuckin' joke of 'em all! What's the matter, hon? Daddy play with you a little too rough, and now you feel you gotta take it out on the world?"

Daylight nearly lost it there; the fact that this guy seemed to be striking a nerve with all of her friends disturbed her greatly. Had this guy been watching them or something? Did he know about the virtues they all carried and decided point out how horribly they had been demonstrating them in the past few days?

That was ridiculous, of course; they had never met this stallion before in their lives. Perhaps their roles as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony had made them more recognizable to the public than they thought. Maybe they were kinda regarded as celebrities in some areas of Equestria.

No.. that couldn't be the case with this guy. He couldn't know about them. It was just a freaky coincidence. On top of that, he was wrong about all of them. While they hadn't exactly been paragons of virtue the past few days, they still held true to some of the requirements of their Elements.

Rainbow Dash had loyally stuck with them through it all.

_Hash, I mean... No, I'm using their real names for this._

Rarity was acting with her sister's well-being generously in mind.

Applejack... well, she was going to have to do a bit of white lying when it came to dealing with her family in the near future, but she had told her friends she wouldn't betray them no matter how wrong she felt about everything, and she hadn't so far. That was definitely honesty at work.

Fluttershy was always thinking of the well-being of others, and she was acting purely out of kindness for her pet rabbit. And on top of that she had remained rather pleasant for _most _of the journey.

And Pinkie Pie had until recently been keeping their spirits high with her trademark random comedy. Though at that moment, there was absolutely nothing funny about the look she was giving that stallion.

Daylight looked over each of her friends as she thought about how brave and strong they had been the past few days, and her rage began to build again as she turned back to the stallion who had insulted them so harshly. She failed to notice Candy reaching into her saddlebag...

"All of you," the stallion continued in a voice trembling with rage, and possibly fear. "Are the scum of Equestria! How do the Princesses go through life allowing trash like you to live? It's ponies like you all that are causing this country to go downhill! I'll bet none of you have ever done a half-way decent thing in your lives! I'll bet-"

BRRRRRRZZZZZZZTTTTTT!

The loud roar of machine gun fire filled the warehouse. The five mares jump and screamed in shock as they spun around to see Candy had pulled her weapon... and was currently riddling their captive with bullets.

"CANDY, STOP!" Daylight screamed.

Candy either couldn't hear her, or chose not to listen, because she continued to pump round after round into her victim.

In mere moments, the stallions body was a mess of bloody bullet holes and torn flesh; he had practically been cut in half.

"CANDY STOP! HE'S ALREADY DEAD!" Candy attempted to put a stop to this insanity.

_Clickclickclickclick_

It had only lasted mere seconds, but it felt like an eternity before the gun went dry. Candy continued to hold the trigger for several seconds after before the rifle finally fell from her shaky hooves to the floor. Candy followed soon after, crumpling up into a heap and sobbing freely.

For a few seconds her sobbing was the only sound in the room. Then came the shrill high-pithced scream of Butterfly, who collapsed into position similar to Candy's and began to cry as well.

Hash turned away from the group, trotted over to the nearest wall and placed her head against it, an expression of pure shock on her face. She did _not _see that coming.

OJ just paced back and forth aggressively, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face.

Commodity and Daylight just stared blankly at the bloody, shredded remains of the cruel stallion, unable to properly process what they had just seen. Of all the death and violence they had witnessed the past few days, this was by far the most harrowing; for all they knew, this guy could've just been a very rude, yet completely innocent pony. He didn't deserve that, not even remotely. Maybe just a swift kick in the ass, but...

"We're monsters..." the soft voice of Butterfly sounded off next to them. "We're monsters..."

Commodity glanced down at Candy, who was still sobbing lightly, her face buried in the ground. She shook her head sadly and closed her eyes.

"Celestia, have mercy on us all..."

* * *

_**Just one thing I want to say real quick. I'm working on another story right now. It's gonna be a one-shot comedy, just something I had in my mind and had to put out there. I'm probably gonna have it out before the next chapter of this story, though I'm trying to get the last few chapters of this story out as quickly as possible. We're getting close to the end now, and man has it been something else writing this!**_

_**Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing. More soon!**_


	20. Pony Afterlife

**Chapter Twenty:**

**Pony Afterlife**

"Pinkie Pie?"

No response.

"Pinkie Pie!"

The pink pony remained as blank-faced and emotionless as she had ever appeared. Her mane was straight and messy, and her pink hue had darkened quite a bit. She was lying on her back now, upon Commodity's sleeping pad. They had just finished the disgusting task of removing another dead body from the warehouse and depositing him into the river. This one had been particularly nasty; the entire cartridge had been emptied into him, and the size of those bullets must've been something else if they were capable of reducing him to the pile of gore he was when it was over. As he fell into his watery grave, it looked as if his top half may very well have separated from his bottom half. Many lunches were lost...

After the blood and remains were effectively cleaned from the warehouse floor, the group had pulled out the sleeping pad and helped Candy settle down into it. They were all laying upon it now, and while many of them appeared tired, weak and shaken, Daylight was right up in Candy's face, glaring intently at her, addressing her by her real name.

"Um, Daylight?" Butterfly asked meekly from next to her. "I thought her name was supposed to be Candy."

"I'm not talking to Candy. I'm talking to Pinkie Pie," Daylight snapped back, causing the shy pegasus to squeak in fear and hide behind her mane. Daylight couldn't be bothered to feel any sympathy for Butterfly at that time; she had to get through to her other friend. "Pinkie, we need to talk about something right now."

"Daylight, ya sure ya oughta be doin' this now?" OJ asked in a tired voice. "Ain't she been through enough already?"

"If we don't get this out of the way now, it's just gonna keep getting worse and worse," Daylight said. "It sure as hay won't do us any good to bring this up once this whole ordeal is over. I just want to put this whole thing behind us and never think of it again, and part of that means coming to terms with this particular issue right here and now." She turned back to her distraught pink friend "Pinkie, you called your father a murderer..."

Hash suddenly gasped and shot straight up. "Are you kiddin' me, Daylight?" She snapped. "She just killed somepony who may not have deserved to die and you're bringing up her stupid father again? I think that would be the last thing to worry about now!"

"HASH, BACK THE FUCK OFF!" Daylight roared in a voice that caused the building to shake. Hash went wide-eyed, and as badly as she wanted to retort, the look of pure rage in the lavender unicorn's eye's kept her silent, lest she have her head blasted off. Daylight spun back around to Candy/Pinkie. "Pinkie, who did your father kill? Did you see it? What happened with you? You said he had really horrible ways of punishing you when you were bad; what did he do to you?"

"Daylight, do you really think this is the proper time to-" Commodity was silenced by an angry glare.

"Pinkie, I want to know what happened; it's clearly eating you up. It doesn't take an egghead to see that the reason you reacted to that stallion the way you did is because you had your father on your mind." Daylight's tone softened a bit. "You've been keeping something hidden, supressed, for a long time now. All these years you've been smiling, laughing, singing and dancing... it was all part of keeping something terrible hidden from the rest of us. Now, we've all done terrible, terrible things the past few days, and we've still got one more really terrible thing left to do. But in all honesty, I don't feel the least bit safe going into that bank tomorrow unless I know we're all thinking clearly and not being haunted by crap that happened long ago. So please, just be open with me. I just want to help..."

"I..." Pinkie finally broke the silence, though it took her moment to continue. "When I said it was impossible for my mom to help me..."

That was all the needed to be said as Daylight's eyes widened. "He... he killed your mother?! Is that what you're saying?! Did you see it happen?! Wha- what happened, Pinkie?!"

"I... I barely remember it. I've tried so hard to never think of it, to just keep smiling and forget all about it... but it's always been there in the back of my mind," Pinkie whimpered. All eyes were on her now, most of them glossed over with tears. "I told you my parents were really really really strict when it came to the rock farm. My mommy... she could be pretty mean when she wanted to, but I could tell she loved me and my sisters. Whenever she punished me... it was tough, but she always made sure to let me know that she loved me, and that she only did what she did 'cause she was trying to protect me.

"But my daddy... he was... something was wrong with him. It was like that rock farm was his whole world... nothing else mattered to him. His family was just there to keep it intact. I... I don't know why he felt that way, and I don't know what was wrong with him, but if I or one of my sisters ever did anything to... mess anything up... he... he..." Pinkie closed her eyes and turned her head away. "I don't want to say. It wasn't good; that should be enough for you all."

Daylight sighed sadly and thought on that for a moment. There was no way she could force Pinkie to go into any detail if it was that bad. The fear in her voice, the kind of fear that was almost never associated with the gleeful pink pony, was enough of a sign that her fillyhood was ugly beyond compare. The kind of ugly that would keep one awake at night for years after.

"Alright, Pinkie," Daylight said soothingly. "If it's really that difficult to talk about, then you don't have to. It's just..." she took another moment to think. These past few hours had probably been the most painful, frustrating, and utterly draining hours of her life. And she still had tomorrow to look forward to...

"I'm sorry, girls," Pinkie whispered. "I just don't want to make things harder on you than they already are. I mean, you were all no better off than I was growing up. Why should I force more nastiness on you?"

"Oh, Pinkie dear," Commodity rolled over to face her friend and gave her a gentle nuzzle. "Don't ever talk that way; we care about you very much. If anything ever bothers you, you shouldn't be afraid to tell us, no matter how horrible it may have been."

"She's right, Pinkie," OJ commented. "We've all had a tough go at life. But that don't mean we care any less what the other important ponies in our lives go through. Ya said yer folks were mighty picky about that rock farm o' yers? Mah folks were purty much the same with our own farm. Though, the worst they ever did ta us was give us a good switchin' if we ever stepped outta line. It was a might painful, but it was nutin' Ah couldn't handle. But you... if ya can't even bring yerself ta talk about it... Ah reckon Ah had easy compared ta you."

"I... It was... so hard to spend every day not knowing how tough it was going to be," Pinkie said in a hushed tone. "My sisters and I worked so hard every day. We never complained or whined -at least not out loud- and we always got our work done in the end. But it was still never enough for him. He was the toughest, meanest, nastiest, sickest daddy a pony could ever ask for! I don't know why..." she trailed off there, sounding on the verge of tears once again.

"Pinkie," Daylight began in a comforting tone. "It sounds like there were a lot of deep psychological issues with him. I'm not really well-read in that field, but it seems like he had some kind of pathilogical need to be successful with that rock farm. How much do you know of your family's history with the farm?"

"Not much," Pinkie relied with a sniffle. "Just that it's been in our family for a long time."

"I see," Daylight said thoughtfully. "Maybe he felt he had real responsibility to keeping it up standard? That's not entirely unheard of when one is given such a major task to undertake."

Hash gave Daylight a nasty glare. "Ya know, Day, it's starting to sound like you're trying to justify what that prick did to Candy or Pinkie or whatever the fuck we're calling her now..."

"What? No!" Daylight gasped. "No no no, never! It doesn't matter how much he cared about that farm; nothing, _nothing _gives anypony the right to treat others the way he treated his family!"

_You mean like the way we've been treating other ponies this whole trip? _A small voice sounded in the back of Daylights head. _Shut up, conscience!_

Pinkie was silent for a while. Her friends all stared at her intently, hoping she would continue, but not wanting to push her. She hiccupped a couple times, then started speaking again, this time in a very high, whimpering tone. "I don't what I did wrong! I... I always tried to be a good little filly! I always did my chores, I never complained, I... never even _smiled_! My daddy hated smiling, especially when we were working. He thought it 'decreased productivity' somehow." She turned to look at Hash, and for the first time in a long while, a small smile graced her features. "It wasn't until I saw your rainbow, Dashie- I mean, Hashie, that I smiled for the first time. That I... felt happiness, and hope, for the first time.

"That was when I tried to throw my first party. I wanted to do something for my sisters, seeing as they had it just as bad as I did. I wanted them to smile for the first time, just like I did. I almost thought of having my daddy be there as well, just to see if he could learn to smile like I did. I think he would've had a very nice smile; his face just kinda had that quality to it. I often imagine what would've happened if he had decided to come to it... and if he had managed to smile. When the Cutie Mark Crusaders came to me asking about my cutie mark story, I told them my whole family was at my first party, just because, well... their young, and I didn't want to scare them."

"You know, Pinkie," Daylight gently interrupted. "I sometimes think of my family in a different way when I remember my fillyhood. Granted I in no way had it as difficult as you growing up, it's just... every other pony had a mother a father who were proud of them, and were always pushing them to greatness. when I got my cutie mark, my mother... did absolutely nothing. She just didn't care. It's like I was nothing to her. I always imagine what it would've been like to have a mother and father who were proud of me..." she thought on that for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "Gosh, I'm sorry, Pinkie. Here you are, trying to open up to us, and I won't shut up about my insignificant little problems."

Pinkie smiled again. This time it seemed much warmer. "'S'okay, Daylight. I'm happy knowing that you guys didn't have it as bad as me. Nopony deserves what my sister and I went through. But when I threw that party for them, it was honestly the first time I ever saw them having any fun, and it made me so happy for the first time in my life. It's... all I ever wanted to do in life: just make ponies happy, make them smile. But then, when my daddy found out what we were doing... he... he lost it! I tried to explain to him that we just wanted a break! He hadn't given us any jobs to do, I didn't think he'd get so upset! He... pinned me down and..." Pinkie stopped there.

"He... he didn't..." Commodity was at a loss for words, a horrified expression on her face.

"He tried to strangle me," Pinkie whimpered. "But my mommy, she tried to stop him. She finally stood up to him, because he was always hard on her too. She yanked him off me, and they fought. He was too powerful for her though. He had her on the ground quickly, and... he wouldn't stop pressing down on her throat. Even while she was being strangled, she still somehow managed to scream for me and my sisters to run. And that's what we did; we just ran. We left her to d-die..."

The pink pony broke down into heavy sobs there. Butterfly, who'd had trouble simply facing Pinkie moments ago, still unable to shake off the look of insane rage in her eyes when she mowed down that stallion, finally found the courage to poke her head out of her mane. She turned towards her sobbing friend and brought herself up onto her haunches. She gently pulled Pinkie's head into her lap and began to lovingly stroke her mane. It was something she did often for her animals whenever they were sick or down. Occasionally she would try it on Angle whenever he was in one of his moods. It almost always worked.

Right now, no matter how horrible the past few hours had been, no matter how terrible the act she had committed was... Pinkie was still her friend, and right now she needed some loving kindness. Pinkie slowly opened red, swollen eyes and looked up into the gently smiling face of Butterfly. Pinkie sniffled and managed a small smile. "Hi, Flutters," she whispered.

"Hi, Pinkie," Butterfly cooed as she continued to stroke her friends mane.

"Do you... still think I'm a monster?" Pinkie asked quietly.

Butterfly leaned down and gave her friend a gentle kiss on the forehead. "No, Pinkie. I never did... and I never will. What happened earlier with that stallion, it was... I know you were just angry. I was too."

"We all were," Daylight muttered. "And I'll say right now that if Pinkie hadn't pulled the trigger, I probably would've."

"I must admit I was mere seconds away from ripping him apart as well," Commodity said coldly. "The nerve of him, calling me greedy. If there's one thing I will not tolerate, it is ponies assuming I am one of those dreadful Canterlot snobs."

"Look at it this way, Pinks," Hash said. "If I had gotten to him first, _that _would've been ugly. What you did to him was merciful compared to what I would've done."

"Ah was purty close ta losin' it mahself," OJ admitted with a sigh.

Pinkie looked around at all her friends, her eyes welling up again. She had been so convinced they hated her now for what she did. Yet here they were, still trying to make her feel better. Offering her comfort when she needed it most. And the horror they showed at hearing about her horrid time on the rock farm... She had been foalish to even think that they wouldn't care about her. After all they had been through together, not even murder was enough to turn them against her.

"Thank you, girls," she whispered, tears staining her cheeks. "Thank you for making me feel better. I'm so sorry I did what I did. I... I never wanted to be this way. I never wanted to have to kill anypony. Never. I didn't want to be like my daddy." Her sobs became louder. "All I ever wanted was to make ponies smile. To make them happy. Why... why does life have to be so hard? Why do bad things happen to good ponies?"

Daylight rolled towards the sobbing earth pony and took her hoof in her own. "Nopony knows, Pinkie," she said soothingly. "Celestia once told me that somethings in the world are just impossible to explain. Kind of like your Pinkie Sense. We can guess, experiment, make theories, hypothesis'... but there are just some things that can't be easily explained. Why _does _it feel like ponies who go through life trying be good and virtuous end up in difficult situations while ponies who lie and cheat and steal seem to have everything going there way? Or an even better question: why do some ponies turn out the way they do? What could possibly drive one to commit acts of evil? To just... take the beautiful gift of life and waste it on doing horrible things? I just don't understand..."

"Ya ever reckon that maybe some ponies are just born that way?" OJ interjected. "That there's just somthin' wrong with 'em the moment they suck in there first breath?"

"I don't think I buy that," Hash chimed in, shaking her head. "How can you look at innocent little newborn, just laying there or whatever, looking all... cute and junk, and think that there's evil in there? It doesn't make sense to me. I personally think something has to happen to you, something significant, that just... fucks you up in ways you can't even imagine, that just changes your entire thought process and makes you go totally bat-shit insane and just... I dunno. I'm not the egghead here. Daylight, what do you think?"

Daylight didn't say anything at first. She didn't feel this was exactly the best time for a philisophical exploration of the nature of ponies. So much more important stuff had to be on all their minds right then. Still, she couldn't deny how interesting this conversation had turned. It was definitely helping with taking her mind off the events that had transpired that whole week. "I can't really say I know for sure, Hash," she said thoughtfully. "I mean, psychology was never my strong suit, though I have attempted to study it whenever I could. It's fascinating, but there are just so many factors to consider when learning about ones mental state."

She turned to look at Pinkie, who had just about dozed off in Butterfly's lap. "Pinkie?" The pink pony opened her eyes and stared up at her friend curiously. "I don't think I could ever give a proper answer for why your father was the way he was... or why any of our parents were the way they were. But what I _can _tell you is that you had nothing to do with what he was. None of it was your fault. I don't know if you ever felt that way, but just know it's not true."

Pinkie sniffled again and smiled, this time it was a little more pronounced. "I never really felt like I did anything wrong," she said. "At least not to my daddy. That meany pants just couldn't stand to see me happy. But my mommy..." Pinkie's smile faded. "I shouldn't have left her. After she protected my sisters and I, we just left her to die."

"Hey now, Pinkie," OJ said as she moved over to to nuzzle her friend. "Yer mother was doin' what any good mother should do; protectin' her young. You were mighty lucky ta have at least one carin' adult pony in yer life." She added bitterly, "Ah certainly can't say the same for mahself."

"Didn't you have Granny Smith?" Hash asked.

"Well yeah, but we only saw her on holidays," OJ replied. "It wasn't 'till after mah folks were gone that she came ta live with us. Help us take care o' the farm she grew up on. It was nice havin' her with us... well, Ah guess she's still with us, though Ah can't say it'll be fer much longer..." OJ's eyes began to well up. She felt a hoof wrap around her own, and saw that it was Hash who had shown this act of kindness, though she looked a little uneasy about the obvious mushiness involved.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," she murmured. "I forgot she wasn't in good shape when we left."

OJ exhaled slowly and leaned into her pergasus friend/rival. "'T'aint nutin', Hash. She's an old mare, lived a good long life; it's only natural she'd be on the last leg o' her journey by now. Ah jus' want her ta see her farm back on it's hooves again before she goes. Sweet Apple Acres means a lot ta her, ya know? But at least she knew ta treat her family right as well. Ah owe it ta her to save our home... her home.

"Which is why Ah ain't fully regretin' what we're gonna be doin' tamorrow."

Daylight's eyes widened a bit at this, as did everypony else's. "Really?" She said in disbelief. "And you were the hardest one to convince to go through with this..."

"Ah know," OJ said. "And Ah ain't sayin' Ah'm proud of it. Ah'm sayin' Ah've come ta accept it as somethin' that jus' needs ta be done. Ain't gonna look back on this and laugh, that's fer sure, but Ah'm gonna go through with it, fer better 'r worse."

Daylight sighed. "I think we all share that sentiment, OJ." She turned to Pinkie again. "So, what happened after you ran away? If you feel like sharing, that is. You've already told us so much."

Pinkie sighed slowly, then nodded. "It's okay. It kinda feels good getting this off my chest. I've been keeping it all bottled up inside me for so long that it wasn't going to be long before it just exploded out of me like a big ol' firework." For the first time in a while, Pinkie showed some of her usual bravado as she made an explosive gesture with her hooves, prompting a round of small giggles from the others. Pinkie continued, "Well, my sisters and I just ran and ran as far as we could. We didn't care where we were going, we just had to get away. I don't remember when exactly, but at one point we got separated. I can't remember when or how it happened though. I was on my own for a while until I finally ended up in Ponyville. The Cakes took me in, gave me a job and a home..." she added quietly, "And a family...

"Then I met you all, and you've all shown me more love and affection in the couple years we've known each other than I ever got during my entire fillyhood."

Now everypony was tearing up. Even Hash couldn't stifle a few sobs. Butterfly stopped stroking Pinkie's mane and proceeded to wrap her fore legs around her head in a loving embrace. "We _do _love you, Pinkie Pie," she crooned. "Nothing will ever change that. You'll always be the happy, silly, joyful pony who always brings smiles to our faces whenever we're down."

"We cherish you more than you could ever know, Pinkie," Daylight whispered as she scooted in to nuzzle her.

Everypony else gathered together, and soon they were enveloped in a big group hug, with Pinkie Pie at the center of it. The dams in her eyes burst, and she let herself collapse into the warm embrace of her dear friends. "Thank you," she whispered. "You're the bestest bestest best friends a pony could ever hope for."

The group let their hug last for a good ten minutes. This time no crotchety old bigots were around to spoil the moment. When they finally broke apart, it was Hash who spoke first. "Jeez, and I thought my life was fucked up."

To her surprise, instead of being scolded for another rather crude remark, the group actually giggled a bit. Hash sighed in relief at that; she'd felt like she'd been walking on egg shells around the others for a while now. It was nice that they could loosen up a bit, especially after such an intense conversation.

"Well," Daylight said after a moment of silence. "I think it's time we hit the sack; tomorrow... it's gonna be ugly. That's all I can say."

As the others all settled back onto the sleeping pad, OJ suddenly had a look of apprehension on her face. "Gosh, are... are ya'll sure we're really set ta do this?" She asked. "Ah mean, wouldn't ya rather take one more day ta prepare?"

Hash scoffed loudly. "Are you kiddin' me? I've never felt more ready for anything in my life!"

"Are ya sure 'bout that?" OJ asked, sounding rather unsure of herself. "Ah mean, sure we've learned a lot taday about shootin' and movin' and what have ya, but we still ain't exactly at the level o' military 'r SWAT teams."

"Well, it's like Daylight's been saying," Hash replied. "If everything happens the way it should in the bank tomorrow, we won't have to worry about any of that."

"Ah know, but... ain't there some kinda sayin', 'Always expect the worst; that way ya can only be pleasantly surprised?'"

"Pfft, sounds like the kinda thinking only a loser would say."

"Well still, anythin' could happen tamorrow. Am Ah right?"

"True," Daylight answered. "It doesn't hurt to be prepared. But honestly, I feel ready to do this tomorrow; the sooner we get it over with, the sooner we can put it behind us."

"Daylight's right," Hash remarked. "We're gonna be a total force tomorrow! Just watch; nopony's gonna stand in our way!"

But OJ still didn't look very reassured. "But... what if... what if somethin' really goes wrong, and... somethin' happens ta one of us? Like... one of us doesn't make it?"

Commodity gasped audibly. "Gracious, OJ, don't think like that!" She chided. "I couldn't even begin to imagine what life would be like without one of you!"

"Ah'm awful sorry, Commodity, but Ah just can't stop thinkin' about..." she trailed off there.

"You can't stop thinking about what?" Hash prodded.

"Well it's... kinda weird," OJ mumbled. "But... have ya'll ever thought about what happens after we die?"

Everypony, even Pinkie Pie, who had yet to return to her codename, stared at her with expressions of confusion. One by one they answered:

"No, not really."

"Can't say I have."

"Nopey nope."

"Hardly."

"Um, I'm afraid not."

OJ sighed and shook her head. "Ah honestly thought Ah wasn't the only one. Ah mean, Ah'd have thought you'd have been curious at least, Daylight."

"Well," Daylight began thoughtfully. "It's not really something I think about often, but I have heard some ponies offer theories on that topic, though none of them can be confirmed as one-hundred percent true. It's a touchy subject, after all. You can't just bring a pony back to life and ask him what he's been up to since he died. Not even the Princesses can do that."

"They'll never know though, won't they," Butterfly said in a soft tone. "I mean, they're immortal."

"That means they won't succumb to old age or illness," Daylight explained. "They doesn't mean they're invulnerable to swords or spears or..." she hesitated for a moment. "Or bullets." A terrifying thought entered her mind of Celestia staring her down at the end of a long street, bullets whizzing past her head at she and her friends fought their way up the road, which was packed with police and SWAT ponies. Daylight was faced with the horrifying prospect of having to take down her mentor, the ruler of all Equestria... and the closest thing to a mother she ever had...

_No, that's ridiculous. _Twilight scolded herself internally. _If she knew about what we were doing, she would've stopped it by now. She's probably got her hooves full with Spike._

"Well, now that Ah've brought it up, waddya'll think?" OJ asked.

"About what happens when we die?" Daylight specified, receiving a nod from OJ. "Well, I have to clarify that these are just theories, and we will probably never know for sure, but I've heard some interesting ones, a little goofy as well, but interesting nonetheless. Like that one about coming back as some kind of animal."

Butterfly's eyes brightened, and she gave her first smile in long time. "Really? That sounds so wonderful! I hope it's true."

"Ah dunno 'bout that one," OJ frowned and shook her head. "Ah mean, what if Ah die and come back as a dog 'r somethin'? What am Ah gonna do? Will Ah remember ya'll? Will Ah try ta find ya and hang around ya again? Ya'd probably be yellin' at me ta 'git!' 'r somethin'."

Butterfly frowned a bit. "Well, I think it sounds like a beautiful thing," she said rather assertively. "I hope I come back as a fish. I've always wanted to live underwater; it's so mysterious and beautiful."

"Well, keep in mind these are just theories, Butterfly," Daylight reminded her animal loving friend. "And personally, that one seems pretty unlikely to me."

Butterfly folded her fore legs and gave a rather cute pout. From next to her, she heard a giggle, then felt a gentle nuzzle from a pink cheek. That got her to smile again.

"Alright, you're not inta the whole comin' back as an animal thing," OJ said. "What's another theory ya got fer us?"

"Hmmm," Daylight thought for a moment. "Well, there's the one Celestia had..."

Hash snorted. "Oh, this oughta be good," she snarked.

Daylight ignored the comment and took a moment to steel herself. This was a theory she herself actually put some stock into. She was by no means one-hundred percent sure of it, but it was among the more plausible she'd heard. Due in no small part to the fact that Celestia, her wise beyond her years mentor, seemed to hold a mild belief in it.

Daylight cast off the fears that her friends would laugh at this one and spoke. "Celestia once told me that she thinks there may be these two alternate universes that exist beyond Equestria. Depending on how we choose to live our lives here on Equestria, we go to one of these places when we pass on."

"Depending on how we choose to live our lives?" Commodity sounded a tad confused.

"Yeah, like, if we live a good, virtuous life, when we die we go somewhere we'll have nothing but eternal bliss and joy. contrariwise, if we choose to live our lives committing acts of evil and cruelty, we go somewhere we'll endure torment and misery for all eternity. Kinda like Tartarus or something."

Daylight took a moment to gauge her friend's reactions. Some of them looked rather intrigued, while others looked a bit more skeptical.

"Eh... sounds like a story somepony would make up to keep ponies on straight and narrow or something," Hash said. "You know, like the boogeypony or something?"

"I think it sounds rather enticing," Commodity chimed in. "Spending all of eternity in a land of eternal bliss... sounds like a never ending trip to the spa!"

"Well, don't hold me to any of this, girls," Daylight said. "Like I've said several times now: these aren't proven facts, they're just theories. Celestia came up with it when she heard of ponies who have been clinically dead for a few minutes reporting seeing a bright light at the end of a long tunnel. She assumes it could be like a portal to another world of some kind. Though it's difficult to tell if the word of those ponies can be taken seriously, but it hasn't been ruled out as a possibility."

"Well, suppose that particular theory turns out ta be true," OJ said. "Where do ya think we'd end up goin'?"

Commodity gasped at that question. "Really, OJ! Where are you getting these morbid assumptions? Nopony will die tomorrow! I guarantee it! We've prepared to well for this."

"Look, it ain't outta the realm o' possibility is all Ah'm sayin'," OJ snapped. "But if one o' us should meet a nasty end, Celestia forbid, where do ya think we'd end up?"

Hash decided to answer that. "Well, assuming that whole thing is true, which I personally doubt... I think we'd be set up in Happy Town or whatever the good place is called."

OJ stared at her incredulously. "Really? Ya honestly think that? After what we've done the past few days?" She asked in disbelief. "Think about it; the past couple days we've killed, tortured, brutalized, stolen, and tamorrow, we're gonna be stealin' some more. Ah'm purty damn sure those kinds o' acts would be factored in when we finally pass on."

"Well, yeah but..." Hash argued. "Do you really think we deserve _eternal _torment and agony for that? I mean, sure we haven't exactly been model citizens the past few days, but c'mon! We've done way more good in our lives than bad. We don't deserve a place like that."

"Um, well then, who _do _you think deserves a place like that?" Butterfly asked meekly.

Hash thought for a moment. "Ya know, the _worst _kinds of ponies. The kinds of ponies we've been dealing with the past few days; those nasty ass punks who rape and kill for fun, guys who profit on violence and death, those sick fucks who molest and torture little foals for pleasure, those world leaders who have entire races killed just because they don't share the same political views or something. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Evil ponies. We're _not_ evil. We're not monsters." That last part seemed directed at Butterfly. "We just fucked up royally and were taking an extreme measure to fix it. It's not pretty, but it's gonna get done, and we and the ones closest to us are all going to be better off for it."

Everypony took a moment to consider Hash's words; they were uncharacteristically wise for her, and even a bit comforting to some. Pinkie in particular was relieved to hear that the icky word "evil" wouldn't be associated with her, like she had always associated with her father. She never wanted to be him after all...

"They're still just theories, girls," Daylight eventually said. "I mean, maybe nothing happens when we die. Maybe we just rot in the ground or something. Like going into a long, dreamless sleep."

A pregnant pause followed that "charming" sentiment.

"Oh, that sounds so... depressing," Butterfly said sadly. "Who would want to go though life thinking that?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense to me," Hash added. "Though, if that whole alternate world thing turns out to be true, I don't think I'll be too disappointed." Another long silence passed as everypony just took in the nature of the conversation. These were topics they had never once thought they'd be discussing with each other; life had just seemed so much simpler before everything went to Tartarus. Hash spoke again before too long. "Seriously though, whatever happens tomorrow, it doesn't change anything about us; we'll still be the same ponies we were before this whole thing was inflicted on us."

"Do you really believe that, Hashie?" Pinkie asked. "I don't want to be changed by this."

"You better believe I believe it!" Hash said confidently. "Pinkie... or should we start calling you Candy again?"

"Oh please do! I'm kinda starting to like that name!" Candy answered with her widest smile yet.

"Alrighty then, Candy," Hash continued. "When this is all over, you'll still be that crazy party pony who always knows how to make us smile and laugh when we really need it."

Candy grinned wider than ever now. It was as if the trauma of the conversation moments ago had been cast from her mind completely.

Hash then turned to Commodity. "And Commodity? The fact that you're doing this all for your sister shows that you're still one of the most generous and caring ponies I know." Commodity smiled warmly at her friend. Hearing that definitely made the coming trials seem much more possible... and necessary.

"And you, OJ," Hash turned to her friend/rival. "I'd still trust you with my life. Nothing would ever change that." Hash extended her hoof, and OJ, with a small grin on her face, gave it a bump.

"Butterfly," Hash next turned to her fellow pegasus, who actually managed to make eye-contact. "I... well there's no way I can say this without sounding like a total sap, but I'll say it anyway: you're an absolute sweetheart, and I value your kindness more than you can ever know."

"Oh, Hash," Butterfly sounded close to tearing up. "I value your friendship too." She reached across and gave her a big hug, which Hash returned with a slight blush.

After breaking apart, Hash pointed to herself next, a slightly smug expression gracing her features. "As for me," she said. "There's still no way I'd ever leave any of you hangin'!" Her smugness faded a bit. "Hay, I'd... I'd even throw myself in front of a dragons flame to protect any one of you girls. And I _mean _that."

Everypony nodded solemnly, as if they never doubted that for a second. Finally, Hash turned to Daylight, who looked deeply interested to hear what Hash had to say about her. "And as for you, Daylight. You're the one who brought us all together. The one who's led us safely through numerous adventures. No matter what happens tomorrow, we'd still follow you to Tartarus and back!"

"Yehaw!" OJ cheered.

"I heartily agree!" Commodity whooped.

"Yeperrrrrrinooooooo!" Candy added.

"We have your back, Daylight. No matter what," Butterfly came in at the end, sounding as boisterous as she possibly could.

Daylight glanced around at all her friend, and the tears slowly began to fall as she took in their confident gazes. "Th-thank you all so much," she choked out. "Th-that was just what I needed to hear. I feel so ready to do this now." She wiped the stray tears from her cheeks. "And you know something else? I don't doubt for a second that we will still be able to wield the Elements of Harmony when this is all over. I mean, they chose us for a reason after all, and for the past few days we've still shown _why _they chose us, in spite of how ugly it's been. We're still Equestria's heroes, no matter what!"

Everypony gave a confident nod, and without even a single word, the group slowly began to recline back into sleeping positions. They had all the pep talk they needed. Now, it was a good nights sleep that was esscential. Only Daylight remained sitting up-right on her haunches, looking over her friends with a calm smile, a calm smile that slowly began to fade as she watched over their peaceful faces. These five ponies who were so precious to her, who had come to meant he world to her... tomorrow they were about to put their lives and morality on the line... and _she _was ultimately the one responsible for whatever happened to them.

It was all of the sudden too much to take in. The confidence that she felt just moments ago had suddenly evaporated, replaced by cold dread and fear. What the hay was she thinking? Putting them through this? Forcing them into this sitution? No. She wasn't forcing them into anything. She remembered that day in the Everfree Forest all too welll; she had not forced them into anything. They were all here of their own free will. They had _chosen _to join her. What they did tomorrow, they did willingly. She shouldn't be feeling this way...

It wasn't long before her stomach began to twist and turn, and the feeling of bile forcing it's way up her throat began to take hold of her. Daylight began to breathe heavily, sweat pouring down her face. She wouldn't be able to keep it down for long. She had to get out of there; she didn't want to be seen like this.

"Um, g-girls?" She said as she took off at a canter towards the exit. "I... I'll be right back. I just need some alone time to-" she gasped as she tried to keep the bile down. "-to think some things over."

Commodity lifted her head slightly. "Are you alright, darling?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine! Just fine!" Daylight called as she began to speed up. "Just need a moment to myself!" She burst through the door, letting it slam shut behind her.

The group exchanged worried looks, but elected to leave the lavender unicorn be. One by one they drooped back onto the pad.

Outside the Warehouse, Daylight sped with all due speed towards the end of the dock, her cheeks puffing out as she reached the edge. Once there, she let it all out, retching loudly and violently. The horror of the whole situation became shockingly clear to her as she vomited; they were miles from home, in a city they hardly knew, hiding out in a warehouse stock-piled with illeagal weapons and explosives, they had been responsible for numerous crimes already, they were about to perform what may very well be the largest robbery in Equestrian history... this was utter madness, and Daylight couldn't believe it had taken up until now to realize that.

"This... this is so fucked up," Daylight choked out, echoing an earlier sentiment of Hash's.

"Not exactly the words I would've used. Though that does seem to be a rather accurate appraisal of the situation... my faithful student..."

Daylight had her eyes squeezed shut as she was vomiting. And now that she had heard that familiar, regal voice sound off right next to her, she was sure she didn't want to open them. It couldn't have been real. She had to have been hearing things. There was no way...

Slowly, she let her eyelids part, and even through the hot tears burning her eyes, she could easily make out the reflection of her mentor, Princess Celestia, in the water, standing right behind her...

* * *

_**Okay, after an ending like that, this may seem like a wierd place to shamelessly plug some things, but I've got a few thing I wanna tell ya'll about. First, I've got another story out; it's my first attempt at comedy, as well as a chance to combine my two passions in life: MLP and Football. Check it out if you haven't already and let me know what you think of it. It was honestly the most fun I ever had writing anything!**_

_**Second, A writer named Mcpeach has written kind of an alternate take on the robbery of this story called When Good Ponies Go Bad: Blue Shift. It's pretty damn good, so give it some attention if you can.**_

_**Thanks for your patience with this chapter. I'll try to never take this long again. Thanks for reading. More soon!**_


	21. Teacher and Student (Former)

**Chapter Twenty One:**

**Teacher and Student (Former)**

Even with her throat burning, eyes watering, and nose dripping with mucus, all of Daylight's focus was on the reflected image of her Princess/Mentor/Mother in the sickly black water below her. She could practically feel her standing mere inches behind her.

It was still taking her mind a good while to adjust to the situation. Part of her wanted to believe this wasn't real, that it was just some hallucination caused by her sudden sickness. If that was the case though, this was the most vivid and realistic hallucination she'd ever had. How could this be true? How could Celestia be there right at that moment? And even more disturbing, how could she possibly have known what they had been up to the past few days? Unless... she _had _been watching them this whole time. But no, that was ridiculous; there was no way Celestia would ever have allowed them to get away with what they had been doing. She could've stepped in easily at any time and ended all this madness.

Why was she here now? There was no denying it at this point: this was no hallucination. The benevolent ruler of all Equestria was standing right fucking there behind her. This was a creature who could turn her into nothing more than a smoldering crater in a fraction of a second with a blast from her horn. And yet, she had done absolutely nothing so far. She just continued to stare back at Daylight's reflection with a look that seemed to show indifference. Like she was feeling nothing whatsoever. Even with the water rippling the way it was, Daylight could tell she was as still as a statue. Hay, the entire world seemed to be standing still at that moment.

All Daylight could do was sit there facing the water, occasionally spitting out more foul tasting bile. She was afraid, there was no doubt about that. But the emotion that was greater than her fear at that moment was confusion. So many questions buzzed through her head. So many things she wanted answered. It was becoming increasingly obvious that _she _was going to have to be the one to break the silence. Oh joy; there were so many things she wanted to say... and she had no idea where to begin. She wanted to wait for the burning in her throat to subside first, making it easier for her to talk, but that could take several minutes, and she didn't have that kind of time. She gave a few quick coughs and blinked a few times to clear her vision. The reflection of her mentor was still as clear as day. This was for real.

Slowly, Daylight turned to face her mentor. The first thing that caught her a bit off guard was the fact that the look Celestia was giving her was much more stern and full of contempt than it had appeared in the reflection. She could practically feel the heat of the sun radiating off her, which was something she noticed whenever the Princess was experiencing a particularly powerful mood. It didn't take a genius to guess what she must've been feeling right then and there.

The millions of different things Daylight wanted to say at that point all raced to the tip of her tongue. It could've been anything she said next... but it just _had_ to be a sarcastic quip, didn't it?

"Up past your bedtime, Princess?"

Daylight's voice had been raspy and groggy, yet it still held a faint tone of snark, like she wasn't the least bit intimidated. Why should she be? She had been in Celestia's presence countless times. She was used to it by now. Though, none of those other times had been in a situation quite like this one. She realized that quickly, and immediately began to fear she had just incurred the Sun Goddess's wrath.

But Celestia made no change in her current demeanor whatsoever. Her gaze had not softened nor hardened any further, and she hadn't budged an inch. For a moment, Daylight was almost certain she was looking at a statue of her mentor. One that had spontaneously appeared right behind her for no reason at all. But the regal alicorns elegantly flowing mane assured her that this was indeed Celestia in the flesh.

Feeling a bit braver now that the Princess hadn't blown her head off yet, Daylight attempted further communication. This time, she managed to force a smile. "Nice to see you too," she said in a tone of mock cheeriness. She then added quietly, "Though I wish I didn't look as bad as I do right now."

"Oh, I've seen you in far worst states, Twilight," Celestia sais softly, eliciting a small jump from the lavender mare. "You forget, I was the one who held your mane back when you had your head half-way down the toilet on your twenty-first birthday."

The fear had now almost completely left Daylight, and the confusion increased. Instead of screaming her silly or raining burning hail from the sky, Celestia had chosen to be sentimental and bring up a rather embarrassing yet mildly humorous story from her past? What the hay was she playing at? Daylight could think of only one thing to say to that. "You know that was food poisoning, right? I wasn't drunk."

Celestia merely shrugged, then gently settled herself onto her haunches. Suddenly, she didn't seem so intimidating anymore. She regarded Daylight curiously for a moment. Daylight finally found herself able to make eye-contact, though it was only for a brief moment; Celestia had a glare that could burn through steel if she wanted to. Fortunately, in the brief second Daylight met her eyes, she hadn't resorted to it. Still, it was creepy looking into the eyes of a mare she honestly believed she was through with. This whole thing was just too surreal for words. Daylight was almost certain this was a dream.

_What if the past few days have all been a dream? What if I'm going to wake up any minute now back in the library with Spike, and everything's the way it should be. I still have my home, Rainbow Dash has her job, Rarity's boutique is doing well, Fluttershy's little bunny is doing just fine, Applejack has her orchard, and Pinkie Pie's reputation at Sugarcube Corner is as strong as ever. If this is a dream, it's gonna be a hay of a thing to share with the girls when I wake up._

Still not entirely sure what to make of this, Daylight decided to attempt a little more bravery with her teacher. "So, why are you here?" She asked in a somewhat cold tone.

"I could ask the very same thing of you and your friends, Twilight," Celestia replied coolly. "Though I suppose I already know the answer to that. I think the more appropriate question is _why _are you here?"

Daylight gave Celestia a confused look. "What?" Was all she could thing of saying.

"Why have you chosen this path, Twilight?" Celestia clarified. "Why have you dragged your dear friends into such a dire situation and put not only their lives on the line, but quite possibly their souls?"

Now Daylight could feel the seeds of anger being planted in the pit of her stomach. So this is how she was gonna be, huh? Condescending and sentimental? This was bound to get ugly, though Daylight decided to keep her rage in check for now. She chose to answer calmly and smoothly, "That's a long story, Your Highness."

Celestia let out a long, slow exhale. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing calmly. She looked like she was doing all she could to contain an explosive outburst. Daylight was almost internally challenging her to go ahead and do her worst. If this was a dream, this would probably be her best chance to wake up. A blast to the head would do the trick in that regard.

However, Celestia instead opened her eyes again, this time appearing much calmer. "Shall we get a coffee somewhere?" She gently offered. "Perhaps it would be best to talk in a more public location... so you feel more at ease."

Daylight stared blankly at her (former) teacher. Princess Celestia, the immortal ruler of all Equestria... wanted to get coffee with her. This situation couldn't be more bizarre if Discord himself descended from the sky and started belching chocolate milk grenades everywhere.

"Are there any places open at this time of night?" Daylight asked.

"I'm certain there must be some kind of twenty-four hour café around here," Celestia replied in an unnervingly calm tone. "We just have to look hard enough."

Daylight stared down at her hooves for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing silently through her mucas-caked nostils. She just didn't know what to make of this anymore. But if Celestia was willing to carry their conversation to a more public place to make her feel more at ease, she knew the Princess wasn't planing on turning her into a smoking crater tonight. Plus a cup of warm coffee would probably do wonders for her throat.

Daylight raised her head again and met her Princess's gaze. "As long as you stay where I can see you," she said.

For a brief moment, Daylight could've sworn she saw a hint of hurt in Celestia's eyes, though it was quickly replaced by a look understanding, as if she maybe expected Daylight to show this kind of nervousness around her... but was secretly hoping she wouldn't.

Celestia rose to her hooves and gracefully turned around. "Come, Twilight," she said over her shoulder as she trotted up the dock.

Daylight followed a few paces behind her. She took a quick glance at the warehouse door as she passed it. She wondered for a moment if it was wise to leave her friends like this. At any time one of them could come out to see if she was alright and find her missing. Most likely they would assume she abandoned them, and things would get ugly fast.

"One moment," Daylight said quickly as she trotted over to the door. She pushed it open and stuck her face in. Her friends were all sitting up and talking to each other, looks of concern etched upon their faces. "I'm fine, girls," Daylight said to them, drawing their attention. "I just want to have a few moments to myself... to think things over for a while. I'll come back in soon." She pulled her face back without even waiting for their responses.

Celestia waited for her student to return to her side before continuing onward. "We have much to discuss, Twilight Sparkle," she said in an almost matter-of-factly tone.

"Fine," Daylight muttered. "But do me one favor?"

"And what would that be?" Celestia asked.

"Call me Daylight."

* * *

They didn't have to walk for long before they found a quaint, albeit rather sub par little café at a corner not too far from the docks. Most of that was due to the fact that everypony on the street immediately recognizing the Princess and giving her a considerable margin of space, as well as going into groveling formation, much to Celestia's annoyance.

It was an awkward scene to say the least; a large white alicorn seated at a small booth in a slightly run-down cafe in downtown Manehattan, sipping on a latte across from a disgruntled looking lavender unicorn. naturally the café workers beyond thrilled to have a chance to serve royalty. They had offered to serve Celestia free of charge, but the always modest alicorn insisted on paying, to which they reluctantly accepted.

Daylight sat across from her, staring blankly into her cup of pure black coffee. She had only taken one sip, and it was enough to put her off coffee forever. No amount of cream or sugar could've saved that abomination that was filling her cup. She was half convinced it was river water she was drinking, considering it had the same hue and texture as the water she had only moments ago vomited into.

But her mind was wrapped around more important things than crappy coffee, like how the hay she was supposed to explain herself here. About ten minutes had passed and neither had said anything aside from placing their coffee orders. Daylight could feel her mentors gaze boring into her as she stared blankly into the depths of her coffee. She couldn't keep this up for long. She had to talk eventually. It was clear Celestia wasn't going to initiate the coming conversation. Only a scant few others occupied the café, and most seemed too caught up in their own conversations to pay any heed to what she and Celestia had to talk about.

Slowly, Daylight lifted her head and glared coolly at her mentor. As she took in the sight of the large white alicorn barely squeezed into the small booth, she couldn't stifle a few small giggles. Celestia noticed this and raised an eyebrow. Daylight shook her head, still letting a few chuckles slip out. "You just look so silly right now," she muttered.

Much to her surprise, Celestia seemed mildly amused at the situation as well. The small smile on her face lasted only lasted an short while though, and soon she was back to staring intently at her once faithful student. There was no real coldness in her stare, but it was still very intimidating.

Daylight quickly shook off the giggles and put on a straight face. "So what are we doing here, Princess?" She asked coolly.

Celestia levitated her cup to her mouth. "Why do _you _think we're here, Twi... Daylight?" She asked before taking a sip.

Daylight had to admit she was impressed with how Celestia had corrected herself and still managed to sound as perfectly composed as ever. But there was no way she was going to make this easy for her former mentor, especially if she was going to be condescending like this. "I think you know damn well why I'm here, Celestia," she said, deciding not to bother with addressing her formally anymore. "You're fully aware of what we've been doing the past few days, aren't you? You've been watching us this whole time, right? Don't play around with me like this, Celestia. I'm not a filly anymore."

"I am not implying that you are," Celestia replied in a calm voice that drove Daylight insane. "Though your actions the past few days, as well as the actions of your friends have hardly been what I would expect of fully grown, rationally thinking ponies."

Daylight glared at Celestia, her mouth contorted into an angry snarl. "You've got some nerve, Celestia. You spend the past few days watching us from the shadows as we fuck up every pony who so much as looks at us funny, you hear about everything we're planning on doing, you watch as we get closer and closer to securing the means to pull it off... and you do nothing to stop it. Now you come to me mere hours before we do the... 'thing' we're going to do -I don't even want to have to say it- and pull me into some crap coffee shop in the middle of flank-fuck Manehattan so you can tell me _now _that you don't approve. Well where the fuck were you a week ago when all this stupid manure was dumped on us, huh? Where the fuck were you?"

Celestia calmly sipped at her coffee again. The relaxed expression on her face was causing Daylight's eye to twitch erratically. "You've certainly developed a rather colorful vocabulary in the past few days, as have your friends," Celestia said. "Quite impressive if may say so."

"Oh will you stop?!" Daylight raised her voice a bit and pounded the table. She drew in a few glares from around the cafe, but she paid them no heed as she was too caught up in glaring daggers at Celestia. "I swear if you keep pushing me, I won't be held responsible for what I do next."

Celestia showed absolutely no sign of fear or intimidation. In fact, she didn't even seem all that bothered by the fact that her student had just threatened her. She just calmly sipped at her latte again, closed her eyes as she savored it's rich creaminess, then placed her cup down if front of her. Daylight saw that it was already empty, and she had only seen her take three or four sips.

_Geez, you can really put it away, can't you. _She had come dangerously close to vocalizing that sentiment.

Celestia exhaled slowly, then opened her eyes again. This time, the relaxation that filled her eyes earlier was gone now, replaced by deep seriousness, and it had caught Daylight a tad off guard. "I know you must be feeling a mix of emotions right now, my... faithful student," she eventually said.

"Oh, that's a polite way of putting it," Daylight sneered.

"So," Celestia continued as though she hadn't heard her, "I will not talk down to you or treat you like a filly. I will give you the same level of respect that I would expect you to give me." Her voice darkened a bit at the end of that statement. "First, I will start by saying that you don't have to have to explain yourself to me; I am fully aware of what you have done the past few days and why you are doing it. I have been keeping a close eye on you since the day you pulled your friends into the Everfree Forest to tell them what you wanted to do."

"Is that so?" Daylight said venomously. "So you're telling me you just sat around and watched as we went through Tartarus? You just sat around and watched as we killed and brutalized and stole? We've committed crimes, Celestia! _Crimes_! Stuff that would get us a one way ticket to the penitentiary or worse! Were you just... were you _waiting _for us to do all that first so you could bust us for it later? Is this all some kind of sick test? Please tell me this is a prank or something! Just some one of your most extravagant pranks yet! I promise I won't be angry, I just want to know that this isn't real! Please tell me this isn't real!" Daylight began sobbing towards the end of her rant.

"I'm afraid this is very real, my dear," Celestia said grimly. "I would never put you through something like this for the sake of a laugh."

Daylight stared wide-eyed at the majestic alicorn, her mouth hanging slightly agape. "Well... then I just don't know what to make of this," she said in a hushed tone.

"Nor do I," Celestia said. "How is it that my faithful student, my prized pupil, who has been nothing but a joy and wonder to watch as she developed into a talented and capable young mare, has become a ruthless criminal?"

"Ruthless criminal..." Daylight muttered under her breath. "That is _something else_ hearing that coming from the one who allowed all this to happen in the first place."

"Allowed?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Whatever are you getting at, Daylight?"

"Oh stop," Daylight groaned. "Do you really want to know why I am where I am? Because have had something to do with the fact that I had no other options! Nothing, and I mean _nothing _was going well for us! We were on our own!"

"Is that so?" Celestia's voice raised a bit, but it was barely noticeable. "Did it not occur to you to consider asking me for aid? Perhaps I may have been willing to offer some kind of support."

"What?!" Daylight's jaw hung agape. "Do you even read the letters you send out or do you just have somepony write it for you and you barely give it a once over before sending it out? I believe that letter you sent out said that you were just gonna sit back let us pull ourselves out of this jam on our own. I don't remember the exact words and I tore it up before we left, but I'm pretty damn sure that was the gist of it."

Celestia let out quite possibly the longest, slowest sigh Daylight had ever heard. It felt like minutes had passed before Celestia finally spoke. "Daylight, I am fully aware of what I said to you in that letter. I wanted you and your friends to overcome this tragedy in any way you choose. I suggested that you be smart and make the right choices. But I don't recall any part of the letter saying I was abandoning you to fend for yourselves."

"You said this was supposed to be some kind of challenge for us to overcome," Daylight hissed. "You made it sound like you didn't care what happened, you just wanted wanted us to rely on ourselves to fix everything."

"Is that really what you got out of my letter?" The volume of Celestia's voice rose a bit. "Because if that is the case, then I'm afraid your perception skills have greatly faltered. I will not quote the letter verbatim, but from my admittedly quite impressive memory, it said that this was your chance to overcome a crisis on your own. It is true that you and your friends have never faced a crisis quite like this. It's one thing to save Equestria from chaos and destruction on many occasions, but to face a threat to your financial stability and to lose your home... that is a kind of horror that can damage a pony in ways few can imagine.

"I was desperate to know just how you would handle the situation, and I hoped my letter would give you some incentive to reach some kind of brilliant solution. But..." Celestia trailed off there, sighing sadly and shaking her head.

"Well, I reached a decision all right," Daylight said coolly. "And you want to know something crazy? I think it's going to work. We've planned everything out so perfectly, we've gathered all the necessary equipment, we've learned how to intimidate and handle weapons, I have a good idea of how to set up the C4..."

"I am aware," Celestia interrupted, raising a hoof to halt the rant. "I am aware of what you have been doing the past few days."

Daylight frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Oh, that's right, you were just sitting back and watching us the whole time."

"I guess that's one way of putting it," Celestia sighed.

"So how was it?" Daylight asked nastily.

"How was what?"

"Sitting back and doing nothing while we brutally killed several ponies over the course of a couple days."

Celestia gave no answer. But the look she gave Daylight sent the first real shiver down her spine that she had felt since Celestia first showed her face earlier. Daylight combated the urge shudder by taking another sip of her crappy coffee. She had to admit, the warmth it gave was effective in keeping her outward appearance as calm and collected as possible.

"Really, how was it though?" Daylight asked after a while. "Just sitting there and watching? You could've stopped it, you know?" Her voice began to shake with sadness and rage. "You could've done s-something. You... you didn't have to just sit there a-and allow it to happen..."

"Twilight Sparkle," Celestia began, making sure to speak quickly before Daylight could correct her on the name. "If you would merely listen for a moment, I can explain why I have allowed the preceding event to play out as the have."

"Did you have something to do with it?" Daylight asked coldly.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Did I have something to do with _what_?"

""With what's happened to us this past week." Daylight sounded like she was on the verge of exploding. "Is this all somehow your doing? Because we've had this theory that you've been testing us somehow. That you're the one responsible for everything that's happened to us. Is this true, Celestia? Is this just all some kind of test? Because if it is I think you can just mark it as a failure and send us home... preferably with some compensation bits for wasting our time. And by the way, I told you to call me Daylight."

"I came here to talk to my student, Twilight Sparkle, not her doppelganger," Celestia said firmly. "Now, you believe that you and your friends are being tested in some way? That I would go out of my to destroy everything you've worked for? And that I would do it all in the name of proving a point or seeing what you would do?" She paused for a moment, and her eyes were suddenly full of hurt. She whispered, "Why would you even assume I would do that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it just struck me as a bit of coincidence that all six of us hit hard times in pretty much the same day," Daylight hissed. "And, seeing as you like to dump stuff on me without much warning..."

"Twilight," Celestia sighed. "I want you to listen to me very carefully."

"Oh this oughta be good."

Celestia continued undeterred. "The financial difficulties that befell you and your friends recently were not in any way planned. I did not, nor would I ever do anything to harm you girls or put you in any situation that would warrant actions such as the ones you have taken this past week." She paused for a moment, then leaned in closer to her young protegé. "But there comes a time in everypony's life where one must overcome trials that seem insurmountable. And it is entirely up to them to decide how they choose to overcome them.

"When you sent me that letter explaining what you and your friends were going through, I was saddened, truly saddened for you. After all you and your friends have done, after saving Equestria multiple time, putting your lives on the line for the sake of ours... it ravaged my heart and soul to see you all suffering so. But, as badly as I wished to come in and pull you from the metaphorical pits of Tartarus, I had this thought that you, one of the most brilliant minds in all the land, would find a way to lead your friends back stability, and I was very anxious to see what it would be..."

"Oh, I found a way all right," Daylight muttered quietly, though she was sure Celestia heard her.

The majestic alicorn stared intently at her student for a while. occasionally Daylight would meet her gaze, only to quickly shift her gaze back down to her coffee cup. It didn't take long for the silence to start grating on her. So many possible things she wanted to say came rushing to her head; further accusations against her teacher for not coming to their aid, for not stepping in to prevent them from committing the crimes they had committed, for choosing now of all times, when they were mere hours away from pulling off what may very well be remembered as Equestria's most infamous robbery, to come down and confront them...

"Do you know, Twilight, that you are not the first protegé I have taken under my wing?" Celestia asked after the long silence.

Daylight lifted her gaze to meet Celestia's. "Is that so?" She asked, unable to hide the slight tone of surprise. She didn't know why it had come to her as such a shock that Celestia had overseen the growth of other young unicorns besides her. Celestia had been around for thousands of years after all; it was only natural she had taken in others.

So why did it fill Daylight with a slight pang of sadness?

_Why did I have to assume I was the only one?_

"I have taken in many promising young individuals over the years," Celestia continued. "Many of them went on to achieve greatness. They became some of the greatest and most influential minds in Equestrian history. I'm certain you've read of some of them at one time or another?"

"Most likely." Daylight tried to look uninterested.

"Yes, well, they too faced moments of crisis throughout their lives, and, just like I have done with you, I sat back and allowed them to make their own decisions. Many of them made out just fine in the end. It wasn't always easy; they struggled greatly, and more than once considered breaking down and resorting to... less noble options to make things right again. But most persevered, and stayed to true to their virtues. In the end, they went on to continue living rich, fulfilling lives, and all because they were true to who they were."

"Very touching, Princess," Daylight mused, dipping the tip of her hoof in her coffee and stirring it casually. "Though I seriously doubt their situations were quite as dire as ours."

"They weren't too dissimilar at all, I'm afraid," Celestia said. "Many of them were young scholars like yourself, who poured much of the time and money into advancing the field of Magic Education. When fate reared it's ugly head and challenged them in ways they never would've expected, most rose to meet those challenges in ways befitting who they really were deep down in their heart of hearts."

Daylight sighed and shook her head. She had about a million things she wanted to say right then and there, and a majority of them were laced with profanity. She decided to hold her tongue at the risk of finally setting the powerful alicorn off. She had a feeling that Celestia was doing everything in her power to keep from lashing out violently.

"This pony you've become, Twilight," Celestia continued. "It is not who you truly are, nor is it who your friends truly are. I can see it plainly in your eyes that none of you want to be here. You're all sad, afraid, full of regret for what you've done so far. You want to go home and put this whole nightmare behind you."

Daylight (_or should I just go back to being Twilight for now_?) could feel a violent outburst building in the pit of her stomach. How dare she attempt to understand what they were feeling? It's not like she had any idea of what the feeling of losing it all felt like... what it did to your psyche... how it changed the way you looked at everything...

"You said _most _of your former students managed to pull through just fine..." Twilight queried.

At this, Celestia sighed sadly. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily, as if trying recall something painful. "There were some... some who were as dear and precious to me as you are, who found themselves unable to overcome the traumas and hardships of financial difficulty. And they turned to the very options you and your friends have recently turned to: stealing, lying, cheating..." she added in a quiet whisper, "murder..."

Twilight glared angrily at Celestia. That violent outburst was threatening to push forward again, and her will to hold it back was fading. "You're breaking my heart, Celestia, you really are," she sneered. "I assume things didn't work out for them in the end?"

"Eventually, I was forced to act," Celestia said with a sudden sternness in her tone. "I confronted them, tried to make them see reason, win them back. But sadly, they were always too far gone by that time, and I was forced to..." she trailed off there.

"Banish them to the moon?" Twilight finished snidely.

Celestia's expression darkened. She shifted her gaze from Twilight and sighed heavily. "I'm afraid that wasn't the case. In most situations I was forced to utilize the Royal Equestrian Guard to put an end to their activities... and they are not exactly inclined to merely banish..."

Twilight felt a chill run through her. For the first time since they sat down, she was unable to hide the fear in her eyes. "They... were imprisoned in the dungeons?" She asked, a bit of tension in her voice.

Celestia shook her head. "By the time we got to most of them, they were too far gone to be reasoned with."

"You... had them killed?" Twilight felt dizzy. She made a mental note of where the restrooms were in case she couldn't keep her stomach in check.

"It was not a decision I made lightly," Celestia said. "Every other possible option was exercised before resorting to such extreme measures." She paused a moment, taking in Twilight's expression, making sure she understood how serious she was being right then and there. "I have never been one to condone murder, Twilight Sparkle. I believe that talking it out is always a more suitable course of action over violence. But sadly, more often than not... I was left with no choice; they had to be put down before they could cause further harm."

"Put down," Twilight echoed. "You make it sound like they were animals."

"That is a rather chillingly accurate description of their behavior," Celestia said with a slight tone of contempt. "I can't even tell you what it felt like; seeing ponies who were like my children driven to such extreme acts of evil having to be taken out... taken out, in a way, by my own hoof. I..." She stopped there.

"Is that how you see my friends and I?" Twilight asked coolly. "As animals that need to be put down?"

No answer. Just a deep, piercing glare. One that Twilight normally would be easily intimidated by. But as it turned out, Twilight was feeling a bit of a boost of anger and bravery again.

"It must've been something else, seeing us do what we did to those punks on our first night in the city," Twilight continued, her tone growing colder with every word spoken. "You were watching when that happened, right? You just sat back and watched? You could've stepped in at any time and stopped us before we took everything too far, before we reached the point of no return. How was it, Princess?"

Once again, Celestia refused to answer, but her glare had lost none of its potency. If anything, it was stronger and more intimidating than ever.

Twilight refused to let it daunt her, and continued her rant. "You want to know something, Celestia? I really don't think I regret it anymore. Hay, I don't think I ever really regretted it. They were monsters, plain and simple. Rainbow Dash was right; this city is better off without them. I think a part of you realizes that, Celestia, and that's why you didn't stop us, am I right?"

No answer.

"Then there was the death dealing weapons merchant, and I don't think anypony's gonna be crying over him. That guy had a hoof in one of the most violent and pointless conflicts in Equestria history, and he decides to use shitty foalhood as an excuse for what he does? I'm not gonna lie: jabbing my horn into that fuckers brain was probably one of the most satisfying things I'd ever done. I'll never forget the feeling of it, that's for sure.

"Then we put that bigot piece of manure in his proper place. I don't think he'll be running his mouth anytime soon about things he doesn't agree with. We took that van off the hooves of that whiney little runt and his whore. Hay, the only thing I regret about that whole affair was letting Pinkie Pie drive. Bet you had a hard time keeping up with us, didn't ya?"

No answer. _Figured as much._

"And then..." Twilight gave a shuddering sigh, but her expression remained ever strong and defiant. "There was that fucker who though he knew us so well. I don't know what his deal was, I don't know if he was just some big-mouthed city-worker or something sketchy... but fuck him. I'm glad Pinkie shut his damn mouth for us. I hope it was painful." She gave a bitter chuckle and shook her head. She was starting to feel more like she was talking to herself than to her mentor. "He thought _we_ were scum? He should've taken a good look at this whole damn city... this whole damn kingdom even...

"Just where exactly have you been these past few years, Celestia? Have you really been paying close enough attention to the state of Equestria? Have you even the slightest idea how bad certain areas of the land have gotten?"

"Twilight..." Celestia whispered softly. "You don't know-"

"No, _you _don't know!" Twilight snapped loudly, drawing attention to their booth again. "The girls and I, we've seen what lies under Equestria's little mask. We know what the true nature of most ponies is. We've seen plenty of it the past few days. All this time we've been sitting around blissfully unaware of just what a total fuck-up this entire country is. We've been perfectly content to sit back until we're needed then come to rescue with the Elements whenever you called on us. And do you want to why that was?"

"Please tell," Celestia said softly.

"It was because we loved this country, and we loved our fellow ponies. We had faith in them and the goodness of their hearts and we couldn't bear to see anything happen to them. So we dealt with your crazy, nutjob of a sister and some asshole who makes it rain chocolate milk. We pat ourselves on the backs, thinking we've really made a name for ourselves in this land, that all of Equestria will be inspired by what our friendship accomplished and use as an example of how to live their own lives...

"And what do we find out over the past few days? ...That Equestria is one _shitty _fuckin' place to live! Over the past few days, we've dealt with nothing but inept veterinarians who put income before helping an animal in need, pyromaniacs who destroy the livelihoods of others for laughs, greedy fashion moguls who are never satisfied and treat past generosity as if it were nothing, big fat crybabies who sue small business's for the smallest of failures, an elite team of flyers who fail to recognize true talent when they see it! Do these ponies even know who we are? Are they aware of what we've done for them? Because if they do then they sure have a funny way of showing gratitude.

"And then we spend even more of our time crossing the paths of murders, rapists, war criminals, the worst of the worst. And all I can say to myself is 'How did it come to this? How could this be the case? Why is it that the land my friends and I gave so much of ourselves to protect nothing more than a cynical, crime-ridden slum?' So answer me this, Princess; just what kind of operation are you running here?! Huh?! Answer me that, because otherwise I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight! Just who are the real animals here? The one's who perpetrate these crimes? Or the one's who _allow _them to happen in the first place...?"

Ignoring the scathing glares of the fellow café patrons, Celestia answered in as calm and relaxed a tone as Twilight had ever heard. "Twilight... the perfect society does not and cannot exist. No matter how hard those who wish to do good in the world may try, no matter what laws and regulations we may set... _I _may set... there is nothing that can be done to combat free will..."

_Oh, here it comes, _Twilight thought to herself. _I'm afraid I've read up on this little _free will _theory, Celestia. What can you possibly say that I haven't already heard?_

"As the ruler of Equestria, it is my duty to oversee that my subjects live in peace and harmony. But as powerful as I may be, I cannot be everywhere at once. This is why I leave the enforcement of my laws to my royal guard and the many police forces that protect Equestria's many communities. There is only so much that can be done to uphold the law and maintain peace. We must have limits, or we become no better than those who attempt to do wrong and harm others. You and your friends have, in the past few days, removed some of what many would refer to as the 'less desireable' denizens of my kingdom. You claim that you did this city a favor in taking them out, and I do not deny that few would disagree with you."

"As well they should," Twilight stepped in. "Because if we don't act, who will? You say the police can only do so much. I say it's not enough. Not even close. I'm starting to think we needn't have bothered to plan our robbery so thoroughly; with the way they seem to be running this city, we could probably go in there guns blazing and walk straight out before they could even call it in."

"Twilight..." Celestia said in a low tone. "You do not fool me for a second. You have put on a facade that shows that you are proud of what you've done, and that you are more than content with what you are about to do. But I can see through it easily; you are afraid, and you are ashamed, as are your friends. You never wanted things to be this way. You have been hoping with all your heart that something, anything, would come along and stop you from doing this.

"Think, Twilight. Think of your friends. Your love for them is what drives you in every decision you make. You cannot bear to see any harm come to them. You know deep down that by going through with this robbery you will be putting their lives in danger. You could never live with yourself if anything happened to them, so you have been hoping deep down that something spontaneous would come up and stop you from doing the unthinkable... and now it has: I am here to persuade you to stop this madness..

"The reason I did not intervene sooner, why I allowed what happened to happen, is because I wanted you to feel it for yourself; the sickness, the revulsion, the horrifying knowledge that you had done something wrong. But instead you pushed on, continuing to put your dear friends in harms way... and I must say, my dear faithful student, I have never been more disappointed in you." Celestia's tone suddenly became vaguely harsh. "In fact, I would go so far as to say I am quite sickened."

Twilight felt the rage building inside her just about reach it's peak. One more poor choice of words by Celestia and this was going to get ugly. "How _dare _you imply I would carelessly put my friends in danger?" She hissed in a low, shaking voice. "I have thought of nothing but their safety and well being during this whole mission. I have taken every possible measure into making sure they all come out of this whole thing unharmed. We're prepared for anything and everything. Nothing is going to stop us now. Nothing is going to stand in our way..."

"Do you think your friends share your confidence?" Celestia asked. "From what I've seen of them, their fear and uncertainty is showing significantly more than yours. Are you even aware? Or are you so far gone now that you merely shrug their fear off as just a minor set-back? That they will toughen up when the time is-"

That was the last straw. Twilight lost it. In one swift move she swatted her coffee cup off the table, sending it shattering into the wall and drawing a few gasps and yelps from the patrons. She ignored their reactions and lunged across the table, pressing her face right up against Celestia's, her horn pressing roughly into the side of hers. The Sun Goddess didn't flinch at all, nor did she make any movement of any kind. Her expression remained staunch and unwavering as she gazed back into Twilight's rage-filled eyes.

"Don't... say... another... word... about... them..." She said in her most threatening tone. "You know _nothing _about these girls. You can't even begin to fathom just how brave they've been. Not just over the past few days, but for their whole lives. Those girls have seen more evil than even _you _can begin to imagine. They deserve every last bit of what they take from that bank tomorrow. And I hope you realize that not one of them is doing this out of greed and selfishness. They all have loved ones and ponies who look up to them, depend on them. I have a baby dragon who's been like a son to me, who I want to give a good and prosperous life to. He'll be around long after I'm gone, but I want him to feel like he had somepony to depend on for at least one stage of his long life.

"By now, I've accepted what's happened to us, and where we've ended up. It's not pretty, I admit... but that's just the way it goes sometimes. We're setting things right now, though. We're going to overcome this, and we're going to do it together... as friends... just like I'm sure you would want.

"That's why I'm here in the first place, isn't it? To learn about the magic of friendship? Well consider this as a little friendship report, most likely the last one I'll ever be sending you. Because after this is over, we're through, you and I.

"I've learned that no matter how difficult life gets, and no matter how far gone things may seem to be, a true friend will follow you anywhere, and put aside whatever personal resignations they may have about the way they may choose to go about correcting things to offer their help in any way they can. They do this because they trust you implicitly. It's what my friends have been doing for me since this whole mess began. I know they've had their doubts and fears about this whole thing, but they've put it all aside to be there for me when I needed them, and I cannot express my gratitude to them enough.

"They are more than just friends to me now. In the past few day's, they have become the closest thing to a family I've ever had."

Twilight stopped there for a moment to take in her former mentors gaze, and felt a slight sense of malicious pride at the brief glint of hurt that flashed across Celestia's eyes at the implication that she had failed to be like a second mother to her student.

"I told my friends it may still be possible for us to wield the Elements of Harmony when this is all over, and I still believe that to be true," Twilight continued. "But the more I think of it, the more I realize I honestly don't want anything to do with those _things _anymore. I imagine none of us do, in fact. I already know Rainbow Dash is done with protecting this land. Can't say I blame her; after what we've seen, why bother? This land doesn't deserve heroes. Her loyalty will be to us and us alone.

"Tomorrow, we're going to give this whole damn decadent, crime-ridden, slum of a city the kick in the flank it's had coming for too long now. _Nothing _is going to stand in our way. The line in the sand has been crossed; there's no turning back for us. There's no undoing what we've already done."

Twilight finally pulled back a bit from Celestia, her forehead sweating a bit from the prolonged contact. Celestia looked no more intimidated than she had when they first sat down. If anything, she looked more heartbroken than ever. Twilight briefly took pride in that fact, a feeling that was almost instantly replaced by a sickening regret. She shook it off, though, and pressed on with a confident tone. "If you want to stop us, this is your chance right here and now, at our most vulnerable. I'm unarmed, the girls are all probably asleep by now... this couldn't be easier for you. If you want this to be stopped before it can happen, this is your last chance. Do it now, before it's too late."

Celestia exhaled sharply. She gave a quick glance over at one of the café workers who was cleaning up the mess Twilight had made with a rather disgruntled look about him. She would personally pay for that cup, no matter what their objections may be. She turned back to her former student, and closed her eye's solemnly. "I could do that," she began. "I could have you and your friends brought to justice for what you've done the past few days... but, as hard as it may be to believe, I still hold a significant amount of respect for you and your friends, Twilight."

This time, the lavender unicorn couldn't hide her expression of befuddlement. Just moments ago she was sure she had struck a serious nerve in her mentor, challenging her to stop them by force. She was prepared to fight back, though she knew her magic was no real threat against Celestia's. But she felt she could, at the very least subdue her briefly, then make an attempt to get away, to lose her in the maze-like city. It was a long-shot, but at that moment, she felt capable of accomplishing _anything_.

But, as usual, the regal alicorn never ceased to surprise her. "The one thing that makes you unique from the others I have taken in as protegé's is that you bear an Element of Harmony: among the most powerful magical objects in all of Equestria. They chose you and your friends as their wielders because you all are the very embodiments of the virtues they represent. They have not been know to make mistakes, Twilight, and I have no reason to believe they would start now.

"You six girls have done more for this land than anypony ever as and likely ever will. Your bravery and heroism as humbled even myself, and I believe I speak for the vast majority of Equestrians when I say we are forever in your debt. And... it is for this reason... that I am going to make two very difficult decisions right here and now. Whether or not I will come to regret them depends entirely on you, my... student."

Twilight resisted the urge to shoot down the notion that she was still her student and settled herself into her side of the booth again. "What are they?" She asked flatly.

"First," Celestia began. "I will not bring you and your friends to justice for the crimes you have committed the past few days. Although I cannot condone murder with the exception of a few special cases, such as self defense... which could arguably be the case for your first night in the city, there is a part of me that feels it is true that Manehattan will be a safer place with certain elements of it's underground... removed from the equation, though in the end I will always opt for the more peaceful resolution. And your past heroics, in my opinion, outweigh your more recent activities."

As hard as she tried, Twilight could do little to hide the overwhelming relief on her face. She noticed the look Celestia gave her at this expression quickly, though, and immediately reverted to a look of indifference.

"Second," Celestia continued. "I will not, at this time, attempt to stop or hinder you and your friends. I will instead allow you to return to you hideout for the night and give you one final chance to think about this. Think about what you are doing, and everything you've done. Think about just what this will mean for you all in the end. Will you be able to live with yourselves? Will you be able to keep it bottled up inside yourselves forever? What would your other friends and family back in Ponyville think if they knew what you were doing? Have you truly lost faith in the goodness of Ponies?" ... a long pause... then she whispered, "Have you truly lost faith in me?"

It may have been a trick of the light, or the fact that exhaustion was finally taking its toll on her, but Twilight could've sworn she saw a tear slide down Celestia's ivory cheek. It did nothing to quell her anger at the pony she once thought of as a second mother.

"Sometimes," Celestia said quietly, her eyes closed and her head bowed. "I dream about them; my former students. The ones I lost. The ones I... failed. I'm in a vast empty courtyard, and they surround me on all sides. They stare at me, and their eyes have this unnatural darkness to them. A kind of sadness. That is what I sense emanating from them."

"What do they say to you?" Twilight asked, her tone genuinely curious rather than mocking or skeptical.

"They say nothing," Celestia answered, opening her eyes again and facing Twilight. "Why should they have to say anything? I know exactly what they want from the way they look at me: a second chance. They want me to turn back time, to save them from making the mistakes they made... and I want more than anything to oblige them, to give them that second chance they so desperately crave. But I can do nothing in the end; their deaths were the final nail in the coffin. I am capable of much, but I cannot turn back time... and I cannot bring back the dead.

"Sometimes these dreams feel so vivid and real that I often wonder if they are truly dreams. Perhaps by some unexplainable magic phenomenon I am being given a glimpse into what awaits us when we pass from this world, or at least what awaits those who do wrong; trapped forever in that vast, eternal courtyard, forced to live with the shame of their sins forever eating away at them. I fear I may be seeing a new addition very soon, or perhaps six..."

Twilight felt a strong chill run through her. She tried to convince herself Celestia was probably just trying to scare her into calling everything off...

_Okay, that does not even remotely sound like something she'd do._

"So, I have now given you just about all the advice I can possibly give," Celestia said with a tone of finality. "But if it still hasn't proven to be enough, then allow me to give this one final cold hard fact..." Almost effortlessly, her tone became subtly threatening. "You are just _one _bad move away from becoming my greatest failure since I was unable to save my sister from the corruption of Nightmare Moon. And know this..." she leaned in close to Twilight. "I shall be keeping a watchful eye over Manehattan tomorrow, and if I find that this city has been turned into a war zone, if I see the bodies of innocent's and police lining the streets... as much as it will pain me, as much as it will truly devastate me to my very core... I will do what must be done to protect the inhabitants of this city." Her voice was so low now that Twilight could barely make it out. "I will not for once instant hesitate to take you and your friends down... permanently."

So that was that. Wise and benevolent Princess Celestia was going to be out for their blood tomorrow...

_Holy motherfuckin' fuck... what the hay am I doing?_

That thought had nearly been vocalized, and she was thanking her lucky stars it wasn't. Instead, Twilight Sparkle, once Princess Celestia's most cherished and prized pupil, glared directly into the eyes of the one who made her who she was, and gave a small, yet powerful smile.

"I'll be ready for you..." she whispered.

The two stared into each other for a full minute before Twilight finally let herself slide out of the booth. Celestia remained seated, following her with her eyes. Her expression was no longer sad or angry. Instead, it was almost... indifferent. Twilight chose not to dwell on it and finally turned away. She started for the exit and before pushing through the door, turned to look back at the Princess one last time.

Her mouth went slightly agape when she found the booth she previously occupied empty. A couple small bits were piled at the edge of the table, most likely payment for the shattered cup. But the one who had left them there was long gone.

Twilight sighed and swallowed hard. Already she was regretting the last thing she said to her. "Thanks for the coffee," she whispered, praying that Celestia had somehow miraculously heard that.

She then pushed through the door and began her long trek back to the warehouse, where she was sure she would not get one minute of sleep.

* * *

Twilight was relieved to see that the others were all seemingly fast asleep on Rarity's pad. She absolutely did _not _want to have to answer any questions about where she'd been and what she'd been doing, lest she somehow feel the urge to tell them what had just transpired.

There was no way she could dump this on them now; they were jittery enough as it was. The very idea that the warm and motherly ruler of Equestria had it in for them, was planning on actually killing them... or maybe encasing them in stone... imprison them in the deepest, darkest dungeon in Canterlot for all eternity... she could've meant anything when she said "Take you down."

It didn't matter. Whatever she meant, the knowledge of facing Celestia's wrath would be too much for the others to bear at this time. It was best they remained blissfully ignorant.

Besides, if everything went the way they wanted it to, they may very well be out of the city and on the road home without Celestia being any the wiser. And she said she would only intervene if Manehattan was a war zone. In order for that to happen, about a million different things would have to go wrong, and the odds of that were pretty nil considering how well prepared they were.

_There's nothing to worry about. Together we can accomplish anything. We're unstoppable!_

Twilight quietly approached the pad and gently slid herself in between Rarity and Fluttershy. She was thankful to not be settled in next to Rainbow Dash, though her snoring was carrying to where she was fairly well.

_But if for some reason everything goes to Tartarus... I... I swear on the moon I will defend these girls with my life. Celestia can do what she wants to me, but I will **never **allow her to hurt my friends. Ever._

"Daylight?" A high-pitched, quiet voice sounded from next to her.

_What the...? Oh right, Daylight; my codename. Almost forgot._

Daylight turned to see a deeply concerned looking Butterfly staring at her. "Is everything alright?" She asked meekly.

Daylight smiled warmly and gently placed a hoof on Butterfly's cheek. "Yes, Butterfly. Everything's fine," she answered. Then, as if unable to stop herself, she leaned forward and placed a long, loving kiss on her friends forehead. "Go back to sleep now," she whispered.

Butterfly still looked a bit worried, but the show of affection from her friend really set her at ease deep down. She gave a high-pitched, squeaky yawn and let her eyelids flicker closed.

Daylight felt an almost pathological urge to go around and kiss every one of her friends on the forehead as well. Though the fact that they were all asleep and unaware made that idea sound a bit creepy. Plus she had the feeling Hash would probably sock her upside the head if she found out she did that.

Instead, Daylight made herself comfortable and attempted to let sleep take her for the night.

"Everything's going to be just fine."

* * *

_**Well that's my longest chapter yet. Not sure how long the others will turn out, but we are edging up to the final act now. I guess I should say that this chapter was very much inspired by Al Pacino, Robert De Niro scene in the movie "Heat" which is one of the all time greatest heist movies and one of my many inspirations for writing this. I totally recommend it if your into these kinds of stories.**_

_**So thanks for reading and reviewing! Next chapter... it begins...**_


	22. Woke Up This Morning(Got Yourself a Gun)

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

**Woke Up This Morning (Got Yourself a Gun)**

In a far corner of the warehouse, Daylight stood completely still, staring blankly into it, not really seeing anything. Her minds eye was complete overwrought with visions of the near future; images of frightened ponies, young and old cowering in fear before her and her friends, the feeling of the massive explosion that would likely rock the entire building to its very foundations, the mind-boggling amount of money that is sure to be awaiting them in that vault... the sight of Princess Celestia staring them down at the end of firey, bloodstained street, her horn glowing with some kind of terrible killing magic... and Daylight herself, aiming down the sight of her weapon, right at Celestia's head...

_Dammit! Get out of my head! That's not going to be the case! We've planned too perfectly for this!_

Daylight hit her hoof against her head a few times in an effort to dispel these disturbing images. She was thankful that none of her friends had bothered to question her about her brief absence the night before. Most likely they all had too much else on their minds to be bothered by that trivial detail.

All around the warehouse the others went about their business of preparing themselves. OJ was currently absent though, as she had set out to once again grab some breakfast for the girls. This time she made sure everypony was awake and knew what she was doing before heading out to avoid another misunderstanding.

Hash was busy testing her wings out, making sure she they were ready for the brief flight she would have to take today. She managed to stay hovering for a fair amount of time, though it wasn't without great effort some minor pain. She was convinced now she had just slept on her wing wrong, most likely as a result of not being used to sleeping on a pad. No matter how comfortable Commodity's extra plush one was, for Hash, anything less than a cloud was no good. She would endure though, like she always did. Even the fact that she would be lifting one of her friends to a roof that had to be pretty high up did little to shake her confidence. How heavy could that bookworm be after all?

Commodity, meanwhile was doing her best to get her no longer well-kept mane to cooperate. The once elegant unicorn was not exactly looking up to her usual prim and proper standards. Both her mane and tail had lost a bit of their natural curl and were scattered with stray hairs poking out and split ends. Her once perfectly pristine ivory coat was splotted with light smudges of dirt, grime and sweat. Technically they were all pretty unkempt from all the running around, hanging out in decrepit old buildings, and getting tossed around in a rusty old van, but it particularly stood out on Commodity. It was impossible to tell which was more shocking: the fact that she was as messy as she was, or the fact that she didn't seem to care in the slightest.

Butterfly spent her moment of preparation examining her rifle. It was scary to her just how accustomed she had become to holding that tool of destruction in her hooves. She felt an almost natural urge to hold the silenced MP5 close to her a cuddle it like she would an injured or sick animal. It was weird of her to feel that way and she knew it, but that piece of cold, hard steel was the one thing that would be keeping her safe as the days events played out. She had friends alongside her too though, and she knew they'd never let any harm come to her. But ultimately, it was her skills with her own weapon that would be the deciding factor in whether or not she would be going home to her little Angel Bunny.

And then there was Candy, who was putting on a Razzie worthy performance of keeping her demeanor as bubbly and positive as she knew her friends would expect of her. Last nights revelations had been nothing short of harrowing for her. To keep something bottled up for so long, and to hide it all under a mask of utter bliss and contentment only for it to come pouring out of her so abruptly had taken an enormous toll on her mental state. Truthfully, she wasn't exactly feeling like Pinkie Pie at all in that moment, or Candy for that matter. There was another name she preferred to go by in situations like this...

The sound of the warehouse door swinging open drew everyponies attention. OJ came trotting in with the brown McDerpy's bag on her back. The girls gathered around her as she set the bag on the floor. "Eat up, ya'll," OJ said with forced vigor. "We're gonna need it.

Everypony grabbed what they could, not really caring what it was, and choked it all down as bes they could. Considering the situation, it was a miracle none of them threw up.

"So," Daylight began as she swallowed the last bit of her dandelion sandwich -one that went a little heavy on the mayo-. "Should we go over it all one more time before we do this thing?" Everypony nodded simultaneously, their full attention now directed towards the unicorn.

"Alright, first off, we get to the bank and Hash flies me up to the roof. You girls all enter one at a time, and be sure to space it out so we don't look like we're together. I'll watch from the roof until you're all in, then I'll knock out the power. Once it goes dark, get your equipment ready; your masks and weapons and whatnot. Try not to fumble with your masks in the dark and be very careful with your weapons. Just take your time and make sure everything's all set before you try anything else. Once you're all set, do whatever it takes to get the crowd under control; fire a couple warning shots if you have to, just make sure not to hit anypony.

"I'll come down via the roof access stairs, hopefully you'll have everything under control by then. Once I've calmed the crowd down, we'll get through that one door through whatever means the situation may warrant. While Hash, Candy and OJ keep the crowd under control I'll head down to the vault with Butterfly and Commodity. Then I'll set the C4 charges, and maybe I'll give us a minute or so to get clear of the area before the explosion. Once we're in the vault, we load up our bags with as much as we can carry. Be sure to grab the higher value bits so we don't weigh ourselves down too much.

"Then we come to the problem of how we're going to get out of there. I... guess I kinda forgot to consider that." Daylight did a small facehoof and muttered quietly to herself, "Good one, Celestia's former protegé."

"Wha? We can't jush walk outta there 'r shomethin'?" Hash asked with a mouth full of hay fries.

"Well that wouldn't look odd at all now, would it?" Commodity said sarcastically. "Six masked mares with such heavy firepower come cantering out of the Bank of Equestria, dragging large bags of bits behind them. I'm sure most ponies would be able to put two and two together there, darling."

"Uhhhh, yeah I guess that would look kind of weird," Hash admitted. "But what else can we do?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," Daylight sighed. "Truth is, there's no way we can come out of the bank in a way that won't attract attention. But what I think I might do is bring the van around to the front of the building and we can load up faster that way. We'll still attract some attention I'm sure, but we'll be out of there much quicker."

"Daylight, I gotta ask, have you done this before or something?" Hash asked, clearly in awe of her friends intellect. "I mean, I knew you were an egghead, but this is just ridiculous. Is there anything you _don't_ know?"

Daylight blushed at the praise, but quickly regained herself. "Trust me, Hash, I've learned a lot from reading, but I've been making most of this up on the fly. I'm just deciding to do whatever sounds like the most reasonable course of action. It's more like common sense rather than serious intellect."

"Eh, whatever Miss Modest," Hash shrugged as she downed the last of her sandwich. "You're still a total badass when it comes to this robbery stuff."

Daylight smiled briefly at that. It was always a good feeling when the brash pegasus gave her praise like that, especially considering how rarely it happened. "So anyway," she continued. "We'll take the van out of Manehattan and use it to get us real close to Ponyville. Then we'll ditch it somewhere out of the way and walk the rest of the way home. The bags will definitely be heavy, but we won't have to walk too far. We should be fine."

"Ah guess that sounds about as good as it possibly can," OJ said with a sigh. "When do we start?"

"As soon as everypony's done eating," Daylight answered.

Instantly, everypony set whatever was left of their food down and rose to their hooves. "Lets just get this over with please," Butterfly said meekly. "Every moment we drag this out, it just gets harder and harder for me to accept that this is really happening... and the chances of me chickening out get greater and greater as well."

"I agree," Commodity chimed in. "I'm ready to do this now, before I change my mind."

"I'm all set!" Candy announced with feigned excitement. "It's... it's party time, baby." Her excitement faded towards the end of that statement. "Woo..."

"Ah'm ready too, girls," OJ added. "About as ready as Ah'm ever gonna be fer somethin' like this."

"We're gonna rock this shit, guys!" Hash said as she leapt to her hooves. She seemed to be the only one not faking her excitement.

"Alright then," Daylight said as she rose along with the others. "Now if anything, anything _at all _goes wrong in there, and things get real ugly real fast, just follow my lead and do exactly as I say. I good at thinking on my hooves, and I'll do whatever I can to get us out of there unharmed."

Everypony nodded solemnly, with an added "I'll follow you anywhere, Day," by Hash.

After checking their weapons and equipment one more time, the group headed for the exit. Before heading outside, Daylight turned to take what she was hoping to be her last look at the shabby old warehouse that had served as their home for the past few days. In spite of all the ugliness that had occurred there, she felt a slight twinge of sadness in her gut. Surprisingly, she was going to miss this place. It hadn't been much, but it was home...

"So long, shithole," she muttered quietly before stepping out.

The sky was as grey and cloudy as ever; rain looked like a definite possibility later in the day. Hopefully they wouldn't be caught in it while hauling their loot back to the van.

One by one, the mares piled into the van. Commodity, OJ, Butterfly and Candy settled into the back while Hash took the passenger seat. Daylight slid into the drivers seat and started the vehicle up. She remained motionless for a moment and tried to let the low rumbling of the van ease her into a more relaxed state. Sadly, that monotonous growl was only succeeding at putting her even more on edge than she already was, if that was even possible.

"Hey, uh, I think this thing right here is a radio of some kind," Hash said, pointing to some sort of electronic looking device at the front of the van. "How about I flip it on? Give us a little something to ease the tension?"

"Hash, that actually sounds pretty wonderful right about now," Daylight said with a sigh of relief. The others just nodded in agreement.

"Heh, sweet!" Hash flicked the radio on and zipped through the stations. Most were either static or boring talk radio shows, which only added to Daylights tension and annoyance.

Eventually Hash managed to locate a station playing a rather bittersweet, melancholy tune...

_"'Cause you had a bad day  
You're taken one down  
You sing a sad song just to turn it around  
You say you don't know  
You tell me don't lie  
You work at a smile and you go for a ride  
You had a bad day  
The camera don't lie  
You're comin' back down and you really don't mind  
You had a bad day  
You had a bad day"_

Daylight stared blankly at the radio. Her eye began to twitch in utter rage at the sheer coincidence of happening upon that song.

"Fuck you," she muttered quietly to the radio before slamming her hoof into it at full force. The radio died instantly with a muffling staticy sound before going completely silent.

The other stared wide-eyed at her, Hash in particular looking like she wanted to berate her silly. But none uttered a word at the risk of setting off the dangerously powerful unicorn.

"I hate that song," Daylight said simply. And without another word she set the van to drive and pulled out, her friends just at a total loss for words.

* * *

The drive had been relatively easy, with Commodity offering directions to the best of her memory. The only thing hindering their progress was the slow traffic, which really seemed to get Candy on edge. She clearly wanted to take control of the wheel again.

The others spent their spare time checking their weapons and taping up their cutie marks. Hash worried for a moment that her prismatic tail might give her away, after all how many ponies in Equestria had a color scheme quite like hers? But then she remembered it would be dark in there, most likely dark enough that her tail wouldn't stand out too badly.

Other than that, aside from Commodity directing Daylight through the busy Manehattan streets, nopony spoke. What was there to say, anyway? There was no need to go over the plan anymore since they all pretty much had it burned into their memories by that point. Pointless small talk seemed offensively inappropriate at a time like that.

_Oh, one more thing before we start, girls; Princess Celestia knows what we're up to. Actually she's been wise to this whole operation from the moment I first mentioned it to you in the Everfree. Anyway, she's watching us closely now, and if we make one little screw up that leads to fuckin' Armageddon, she's gonna deal with us personally. Just thought you should know that before we start, ya know, so you have a little more incentive to not blow this whole thing. Happy robbery to ya!_

She very nearly burst out laughing there, mainly at the sheer ridiculousness of pretty much everything. But she managed to keep her hysterics in check. Thankfully.

Daylight, for the most part just tried to keep her anger under control and follow Commodity's directions to the best of her ability. Occasionally she would poke her head out the window and scan the skies for a certain all-powerful deity with the power to control the movement of the sun itself. Thankfully, she saw nothing out of the ordinary in the sky above her. And to add further to her relief, her friends never once questioned what she was doing sticking her head out the window all the time.

Eventually Daylight guided the van into a long, thin ally which, according to Commodity, should've came out onto Celestia Blvd. As it turned out, that was exactly the case as Rarity recognized certain landmarks easily. Daylight brought the van up close to the end of the ally and shut it down there; she wanted to keep it well out of public view as best she could. On top of that she didn't want anypony to see them coming out of it together.

The six mares exited the van and did one last once-over of their equipment. Guns, C4, masks, extra ammo... it was all there. Daylight poked her head out of the ally and looked up and down the busy street. Commodity joined her in doing the same thing. "There it is, right there," she said, pointing up the street.

Daylight followed her hoof until her eyes met an imposing structure a few blocks away and across the street from them. The Bank of Equestria stood slightly taller than most of the other buildings lining the street. It was a very government looking building: large white columns lining the front, the words "Bank of Equestria" displayed along the front of the overhanging roof, and at least a dozen ponies going in and out of it constantly.

It sure wasn't like the one in Ponyville...

"Gol-ly," OJ said with an awed whistle. "Looks like a damn fortress..."

"We'll be fine," Daylight said reassuringly. "Just remember the layouts and we'll be able to navigate this building blindfolded."

The others made one last check of their weapons and returned them to their saddlebags. The foreboding silence, broken only by the occasional car horn or profanity laced tangent off in the distance was really starting to grate on Daylight. She badly wanted to hear her friend's voices. She didn't even care what it was they were talking about, she just needed to hear them. Their silence was beyond unsettling. It was as if they were preparing for their executions and simply had nothing more to say. That was the _last _mental image Daylight needed at that time, right up there with Princess Celestia raining Tartarus upon them.

"Hey, Daylight," Hash said, oblivious to the lavender unicorns relief at hearing her voice. "I think I'm ready to fly you up there now."

"Are you sure?" Daylight asked.

"No, not really," Hash answered matter-of-factly. "My wing still feels like it's being stabbed at the base, but I'll just have to tough it out. It's what the Wonderbolts would do, after all. No more putting this off. Let's just get it over with."

Daylight gave a quick smile and nod to her ever loyal friend. She then took a brief moment to access the emotional state of the rest of the group. Naturally, they all looked more than a tad nervous. Butterfly, in particular, had lowered her head between her forelegs and was in the process of breathing deeply in and out.

"You alright, Butterfly?" Daylight asked in a rather emotionless tone.

"I'll... I'll be... fine..." Butterfly answered between breaths. "This just helps me to relax a bit."

Daylight nodded in understanding and faced the others. Sure, they looked scared... but they also looked ready. Ready as they would ever be.

"Okay, everypony," she began in a tone of finality. "This is it. Just try to look as casual as possible as you head in. Be polite to others. Don't do anything to arouse suspicion. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

Butterfly lifted her head back up. "I'm ready," she said with genuine confidence.

Daylight nodded and turned to approach Hash, who had lowered herself to allow the unicorn to climb on her back. She got as comfortable as she possibly could, then gave one last glance back at her dear friends. "Good luck, everypony..." she whispered.

With a determined groan, Hash leapt into the air with her passenger holding on tight. She was clearly in pain, there was no arguing that, and Daylight was really hating herself for having to put her through this, but Hash steadied on with a single word of complaint.

It was at this moment that Daylight realized just how cold it really was out there. Her mind had been so wracked with a million and one thoughts that she sort of just mentally shut out the freezing cold temperature. But now that she was riding the back of a pegasus flying at a pretty good speed, she was really starting to feel it, and it was flat-out torture.

"You okay, Daylight?!" Hash shouted back at her through clenched teeth. "It's pretty damn chilly up here!"

"I'll live," Daylight replied. _Actually, no I won't. _"What about you?"

"Fuckin' agony," Hash answered in a forced relaxed tone. "But I'll deal. It's not like we have far to go anyway."

Daylight felt a huge wave of admiration for the athletic pegasus. The fact that she had yet to make the Wonderbolts was proving to be more and more baffling considering what she was capable of. As far as she was concerned, Hash... no, _Rainbow Dash_... already was a Wonderbolt at heart. All she had to do now was pay the ridiculously high entrance fee.

As they neared the roof of the bank, Daylight chanced a quick glance down at the busy street below them. They were fairly high up, but Daylight had grown fairly accustomed to dealing with heights over the course of her crazy adventures with her friends. Plus she felt completely safe knowing she was in the care of the Bearer of Loyalty.

To her amazement, nopony in the busy street below had seemed to notice them, and if they did, they must not have any interest in them whatsoever. She remembered reading somewhere that a strange, unexplained habit of city ponies was that they rarely ever looked up. It was most likely due to the fact that looking straight up and seeing massive, daunting skyscrapers surrounding you on all sides could lead to a nasty case of vertigo, but nopony knew for sure. Maybe city folk were just weird like that...

Eventually, after a truly heroic effort, Hash came down successfully on the bank's roof. It was a bit of a rough landing, though, as Hash's legs pretty much gave out under her the second they hit the concrete. Daylight tumbled off her and quickly regained herself. She gasped a bit when she saw just how worn down Hash looked. She lay flat on her belly with all four legs splayed out in opposite directions and her wings completely limp. Her breathing was heavy and labored, not to mention more raspy than usual.

She barely looked capable of even standing up, and now she was about to hold up a bank full of hundreds of ponies?!

"Hash, are you alright? You're starting to look sick!" Daylight cried.

"I'm fine... just a little tired," Hash replied though her heavy breathing. "That was just more effort that I put on my wings a minute ago than I have in a while. Plus, and no offense and all, but you're a lot heavier than I thought you'd be." Hash expected to receive an angry glare, but to her surprise Daylight's expression was more full of concern than ever. "Anyway, I just need a minute, then I'll head back down to the others and we can get this thing started. The flight back should be easier."

Daylight sighed. "If you're sure, Hash. I just don't want you pushing anything. If... if something goes wrong and you're not feeling well enough to take proper action... if something happens to you.." Daylight couldn't even bear to finish. The disturbing images in her head said more than words could.

Hash actually managed to smile and chuckle a bit. "Daylight... or actually, just this once I'll call ya Twilight. I love ya to death, but honestly, you gotta lose the negativity. You assume the worst way too much, and more often than not, the worst never happens. I'm gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine. We're all gonna be fine." Hash then briskly leapt to her hooves, looking surprisingly healthy again. "When we plan ahead, and know exactly what we're gonna do and how we're gonna do it, we're unstoppable! Not even the Princess's can stand in our way!"

A chill ran up Daylight's spine. "Let's not test that theory..." she whispered inaudibly. However, she was

Hash cantered up to her friend with, a renewed spring in her step, and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Just remember, we're with you no matter what. _I__'m _with you no matter what. We live together. We fight together. We die together. Quote me on that."

Daylight, awed by her friends profound words, hugged her friend back, tighter than she had ever hugged another before. "You're fucking amazing, you know that?"

"Duh," Hash quipped. "Ready to do this?"

Daylight had only two words for that: "Fuck. Yes."

The two broke apart, and Hash took off at a gallop for the edge of the roof. Before leaping off, she turned and gave a powerful hoof pump towards Daylight, which the unicorn returned with just as much vigor.

Hash then leapt from the roof, roaring at the top of her lungs, "FUCK HARMONYYYYYYY!" And not a single pedestrian below her bothered to look up. As far as they were concerned, that phrase was pretty much Manehattan's motto.

Daylight took that time to tape up her cutie mark and double check her equipment. Everything was all set, a fact which granted her some small comfort. She then scanned the rooftop for where she hoped the generator would be. Sure enough, the big, grey, loudly groaning behemoth was sputtering away right it the center of the rooftop, next to what was had to be the doorway to the roof access stairs.

So far, so good. Everything working with the plan perfectly. Maybe Mr. Fate was finally done fucking her over...

Now all she had to do was wait for her friends to get inside. There was no need for hurry yet, so she took this time to relax herself, let her thoughts wander to something more calming. She thought of Spike, her little number-one assistant. She had forgotten to ask Celestia how he was holding up last night. She'd had a lot on her mind understandably, but it would've taken so much weight off her already heavy heart to know that he was doing okay.

... "Wait a moment," Daylight said to herself as a rather unnerving thought came to her head. "She hasn't told him we've been up to, has she?" Her eyes went wide with mix of fear and anger. "Oh, she better fuckin' not have... Oh fuckin' A! I swear if she did that I'm gonna fuckin'..." She took a breath to calm herself. "No. No, she wouldn't do that. There's no reason for her to do that. No reason at all. What would it accomplish anyway? It'd just get him freaked out for no good reason. Celestia may be a bitch, but she's not a _fuckin' _bitch.

"You just go ahead and have your freaky little LSD induced dreams about your dead friends coming back to bitch you out, Princess. But if you _do_ end up seeing me in those dreams someday, I swear on the sun I'm gonna follow you back into the real world and haunt your flank there as well. Maybe I'll possess your sister and make her go all Nightmare Moon again; really give you something to cry about, huh? Ohhhhh, I am gonna torture you silly, you stupid, condescending, manipulative... um... okay, I really need to stop talking to myself now."

As Daylight scanned the road below her from the edge of the roof, she finally made out the familiar figure of OJ heading up the street towards her. How ironic that the last one to agree to go through with the robbery was going to be the first one in the bank to pull it off. She truly was about as trustworthy as one could possibly be.

Right before reaching the entrance, OJ gave a quick glance up to the roof. She barely managed to make out the lavender-colored face peeking down at her from over the edge. The two exchanged a confident nod, then the orange earth pony pressed on inward.

_Keep cool, Applejack. _

Daylight looked up the road again, and after a few minutes she could make out a bright pink earth pony bounding playfully towards her. It wasn't the most subtle way to get to the bank, but with the smile Candy was proudly displaying, it would be a bit of a stretch to assume she was about pull off a heist. Just like OJ had done, Candy quickly took a glance up to the roof before entering. Instead of nodding, however, she chose to flash her the widest smile imaginable, which Daylight couldn't even come close to matching in return. Without missing a beat, the pink pony hopped through the entrance.

_Stay low key, Pinkie Pie._

Moments later, Commodity could be seen trotting elegantly through the crowds, drawing in a few second looks from the stallions in particular. Commodity paid them no heed and continued on with her head held high. She gave Daylight a small smile and wink before disappearing inside.

_Just keep pushing on, Rarity._

Then came Butterfly, who, even from far away could be seen visibly shaking. She took a couple of rude shoves by two passing stallions, and it took all the resolve Daylight could muster to keep from leaping down there and tearing their heads off. When Butterfly gave her glance up to her friend, they made eye-contact briefly, and nothing more.

_Be strong, Fluttershy._

And finally came the rainbow-maned Hash, who had apparently seen when the two stallions shoved Butterfly, and she made sure to trip them with her rear hooves when she passed them. Luckily, the two brutes seemed to stupid to know when they were being fucked with, and continued on their way as if it were just an accident. Hash no longer looked like she was suffering from her hurt wing. Perhaps the fact that they were finally getting this thing done was acting as a pain-killer for her.

She glanced up at Daylight and mouthed what appeared to be the words "Kick flank!" to her. But right before Hash could enter, she forced herself to stop to allow an older stallion and a young colt to enter first. Her confidence faded a bit when she saw how excited the little foal looked; probably heading in to open his first savings account or something.

While the older stallion headed right on in, the colt stopped and looked to Hash with a polite smile, clearly wanting to allow her to enter first. Hash managed to smile back and give a little nod towards the door. "Go ahead, buddy," she offered kindly. In her head, however, she was screaming for the kid to run away.

"Thank you!" The colt replied happily, and he trotted in after his father.

Hash sighed sadly, then slowly headed in. Daylight had seen the whole thing, and knew just what her friend was feeling. The pegasus had always had a bit of a soft spot for young foals, and could be extremely protective of them when she needed to be. This was particularly true with Scootaloo, though she couldn't stand to see any innocent young child being abused or mistreated in any way. Most likely it had to do with her own cruel upbringing, but it was also possible that maybe she was just a real softie deep down.

Daylight had always admired that secret side of her friend; it showed what a kind and gentle soul she was underneath her typical hard edge. But now was not the time to be soft, and she really hoped Hash knew that as well as she did.

_Do what you have to do, Rainbow Dash._

They were all in now. It was time for Daylight to kick this thing into gear. No alarms had sounded yet, so her friends apparently hadn't done anything stupid. Daylight scolded herself internally for not having more faith in her friends. She knew they weren't idiots, but for some reason she really felt an urge to kill the power as quickly as possible, as if every second that passed brought them closer to certain destruction.

She set herself up in front of the rather decrepit looking generator and pulled her mask over her head. She took a few seconds to adjust her vision, then began letting her horn charge with her electronics scrambling spell.

_A half-hour. Once I hit that thing, we're on the clock. No slacking off. No taking our sweet time. We gotta haul flank. They had all better fucking know that!_

About a minute had passed when she finally felt the magical energy in her horn reach it's peak. It was time now. All she had to do was release it, and the proverbial demon hordes of Tartarus would be unleashed. Daylight took these last few precious seconds to relish in the calm before the storm. All those days of planning, preparing, and gradually losing their innocence were finally about to pay off.

Daylight remembered hearing somewhere that the Bank of Equestria was regarded as the safest, most secure bank in the land, and that nopony could even hope to challenge that.

Daylight just had to smirk.

_Well then wait'll they get a load of us._

_ZZZZZZAAAAAAAAPPPP!_

* * *

_**Couple of things I want to say real quick. First off, I changed my pen name to match the one I have on fimfiction. I decided to put "**_**Just a Friendly Game" _on there and I didn't want them to think I was stealing someone elses story._**

**_Also, I'm back in school now, and I'm afraid my school work has to come first. I'd have had this chapter up sooner if I hadn't been so preoccupied with school. Plus I wrote another Scootalove story that I just really had to get out of my system. Give it a look if you haven't already, as it's my first attempt at trying something sad. _**

**_I expect this to be about five more chapters, at least, and I really want to get it done before too long. This story is seriously taking a lot out of me, but I will finish it no matter what._**

**_Anyway thanks for your patience and thanks for reading. Next chapter should be a blast... literally._**


	23. Breaking the Bank Part One(Update in AN)

**Chapter Twenty Three:**

**Breaking the Bank Part One**

It was crowded. Much more crowded than anticipated. Mares. Stallions. Foals. Every type of pony imagineable. Perhaps it was stupid of them to have assumed otherwise, being that this was quite possibly the largest bank building they had ever seen, that also happened to be located in the largest and most heavily populated city in Equestria. But still, the difficulty level of their task seemed to steadily grow at the sight of the assemblage of ponies that had turned out today.

There had to be no less than a couple hundred ponies spread out across the bank interior, all of them going about their business, blissfully unaware of the coming storm. No less than thirty tellers lined the right side of the building, another ten or so areas were left unoccupied. Hash scanned the long line of tellers, knowing full well there was no way she'd have been able to stop all of them from hitting the silent alarm. Daylight really knew what she was talking about when she opted to cut the power before getting the robbery underway.

The five mares were spread out amongst the bank, occasionally making eye-contact with each other, but for the most part doing absolutely nothing to imply that they knew each other. For the most part, they used what time they had before the it went dark to survey the area and make sure everything was where it should be according to the blueprints. Fortunately, everything seemed to be where it should be, and that was one less thing to panic over.

For now, all they could do was wait and hope nothing would happen that would give them away. It hardly seemed necessary to act so inconspicuous, however, since everypony in that bank was so preoccupied with their own business that they probably could've gone in with their weapons drawn and masks on and nopony would've gave them a second look.

Along with being uncomfortably crowded, it was rather noisy in there, to the point it felt more like a stock exchange than a bank. There was a lot of loud talking going on, most likely as a result of trying to hear each other over the loud talking of others, resulting in a clusterfuck of voices steadily growing louder and louder... and more and more obnoxious.

It was torture. Moment's ago the five mares were dreading the moment the lights would go down, but now they were practically _longing _for a chance to shut this crowd up.

Still, they managed to suck it up and deal with the task at hoof, which mostly involved getting a general feel of the place, making mental notes of the exact locations of certain areas, such as the door leading down to the vault, and where security guards were posted. There were at least three of them spread out amongst the crowd, attempting to look as intimidating and in control as possible, which didn't amount to much considering they were unarmed and wearing the most ridiculously unintimidating uniforms a pony could possibly wear. Commodity couldn't even manage to suppress a gag when she first laid eyes on those horrendous crimes against fashion.

The tension was mounting with every passing second. At any moment the whole place was going to go dark, signifying the raising of Tartarus. That fact along with the obnoxiously loud voices ringing throughout the bank was resulting in the tension reaching near unbearable levels. It was going to be a real chore trying to get their masks on and weapons ready with how badly their hooves were shaking. Had everypony in that bank not been so caught up in their own affairs they would've easily noticed what total nervous wrecks those five mares looked like.

All they could do at that point was calmly tell themselves over and over to just stay calm and let the situation play out the way it should. Make it look like they were noting out of the ordinary, and nopony should give them any trouble.

Hash nonchalantly shuffled around, trying to look as if she were there on some kind of standard boring business that nopony would think twice to ask her what it was. OJ casually trotted through the maze-like tables and chairs that were scattered around the bank, occupied by ponies caught up in discussing various financial plans and whatnot. Candy was doing a surprisingly good job of really blending in with the crowd; several times the others lost track of her for a few seconds, and when they located her again it would only be for a few seconds before she would slip away again. More of that insane Pinkie 'Candy' Pie magic, most likely.

Commodity found herself standing in one of the longer lines leading to the tellers. She hoped the plan would be set in motion before she got up there for her turn, though she felt her concern for that rather unneccessary at how slow the lines were moving. The one time she had been there before it hadn't been quite as bad as this, though she was sure it was a different day of the week when she went in last time.

_What day is it today? Saturday perhaps? Feels like it. My word, this whole experience as made me forget the current date! What month is it for that matter? _

Then there was Butterfly, who was busy eyeing the upper area ringing the bank interior. As expected, it was mostly offices up there, as well as only official looking ponies going about their business. None of them looked to be a challenge to deal with, thankfully, making her and Hash's task of taking control of that part of the bank seem a little less daunting.

It was at that moment, however, due to her distraction, that she winded up bumping into the last type of pony she wanted to come across at that moment.

"Oof! Oh, pardon me, mist-" Butterfly froze and began to stutter wordlessly at the security guard standing before her.

"All right, miss?" The guard asked politely.

"Oh, y-yes, everything's fine, sir. No problems here," Butterfly squeaked nervously.

The guard cocked a curious eyebrow at her. "You know, I saw you come in a while ago, and you've kind of just been moseying around the bank, doing nothing in particular."

Butterfly's face began to go red. The shaking of her forelegs became noticeably worse. "Oh, w-well I- I'm just... just... um..." _Oh, I'm gonna blow it!"_

"You're not loitering, are you, miss?" The guard asked patiently. "If you are, then I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. This is a financial institution, not a public hangout."

"Oh, I-I know that, sir, I'm just..." _Keep it together, Butterfly! _"I'm trying to..." _Easy, girl. Keep your cool... _"Um... um..."

The others watched the scene unfold from nearby. Hash just face-hoofed and shook her head. "Why her?" She muttered into her hoof. "Why always her?"

OJ's heart was racing faster than it would after a full-force apple buck. She tried to continue shuffling through the desks and customers, pretending as though she had nothing to do with the scene. But she just couldn't tear her eyes away from them. She kept waiting for the moment when the guard forcefully escort her to the door.

Commodity, meanwhile, had to fight with every ounce of her strength to keep from going over and give that young buck a piece of her mind for treating her best friend so rudely. She only managed to restrain herself with the knowledge that once the lights went down, that brute was all hers...

And then there was Candy, living in her own little world, totally oblivious to the scene unfolding across the crowded room from her. She was already internally picturing the beautiful moment when she got her hooves on those bits down in that vault, then bringing them home to Mr. and Mrs. Cake with the excuse that she had performed regular dance routines on a street corner in some big city somewhere (obviously she wouldn't refer to Manehattan) and that she drew in large crowds with her incredible dance skills who were so impressed with her that they were tossing their money to her left and right. She would tell them she made so much money that they had earned back even more than what they had lost in the lawsuit. They'd be so proud of her...

Meanwhile, Butterfly was on the verge of losing it. This guard was clearly losing patience with her, and was already starting to make gestures towards the exit.

"Wait, Let me just... I need to..." Butterfly stammered. _Oh, I can't keep this up any longer._

"Miss, I think you should leave now," the guard said with slightly forceful tone. "And perhaps you should find a place to sit down and take breather; you don't look too good."

Butterfly was about ready to scream in rage and terror now. _DAYLIGHT, HURRY THE FUCK UP! _

BZZZZT!

The sound of electronics dying filled the room. Then came the darkness, accompanied by a few gasps, screams and confused mutterings...

_Go time._

Before the guard could even wrap his head around what had just happened, he felt the sharp, painful jab of a fore hoof right across his cheek. The blow was so powerful it knocked him right down to the floor instantly. The guard moaned in pain as he tried to regain his bearings. But the sudden darkness combined with the dizziness of being dealt such a brutal punch made him as vulnerable as a newborn.

Butterfly shook her sore hoof and whimpered a small apology to the disoriented guard. Fighting through the pain in her hoof, she pulled off her saddlebag and began rummaging through it for her appropriate gear.

All throughout the confused crowd, the other mares got set up as well. Hash was, as would be expected of her, extremely quick at getting her mask on and drawing her gun. She was a bit surprised at just how dark it ended up being when she got her mask on. The dark fabric mixed with the darkened building was making it near impossible to make out anything more than a few feet in front of her.

In one of her rare moments of clever thinking, Hash pulled and stretched at the fabric covering her face until it got a little thinner. Eventually, she got it thin enough to a point were she felt she could see well enough. It would still be pretty tricky, but she would adapt; she was good at adapting. She then yanked out her rifle and began hovering in the air, her wing still hurting like mad, but the adrenaline pumping through her systems was acting as something of a morphine for that pain. Truth be told, she had never felt more ready to kick some flank than she did right at that moment.

OJ, Candy and Commodity had little difficulty as well, though Commodity was a little too careful with putting her mask as so not to further damage her already disheveled mane. Once all their weapons were drawn, and they had pinpointed the locations of the others, they were ready to go into intimidation mode...

Naturally, Hash was the one to get things going. She pointed her AK up to the ceiling and let loose a couple quick bursts of fire. Immediately, the screaming and crying began as the crowd fell into panic. The entire area became a disaster zone of ponies colliding and tripping over each other in the dark, all trying to make their ways to the faint source of light that was the exit.

Before they could get too close, however, OJ and Commodity were there to block the way, their guns aimed right at thick wall of ponies stumbling towards them. When they noticed the two armed ponies blocking the way, they attempted to back up, tripping over each other constantly as they did so. OJ and Commodity began to advance on the retreating crowd, the former looking a little awkward walking on her hind legs, but the ferocious looking twelve-gage in her hooves was keeping any wisecracks that could be made at bay.

"EVERYPONY DOWN NOW!" The rasp voice of Hash roared over the screaming of the crowd.

"ON THE FLOOR NOW, ALL O' YA!" OJ shouted, sending a shotgun blast into the ceiling to punctuate her statement.

"YOU'VE NO CHANCE OF GETTING OUT OF HERE! DO WHAT WE SAY AND NOPONY GETS HURT!" Commodity added viciously.

Candy, meanwhile, was managing to move on her hind legs a lot more effectively than OJ, as she was literally sprinting through the crowd, knocking ponies down and forcing them up against the nearest walls. "THIS IS A HOLD UP, FUCKY WUCKY'S!" She screamed at them. "ANYPONY WHO DOES ANYTHING STUPID GETS A LEAD CRUPCA- I MEAN _CUP_CAKE... AW DAMMIT, I SCREWED UP THE LINE!"

"JUST DO YOUR FUCKING JOB, CANDY!" Hash screamed as she took off to the upper level, with Butterfly following close behind.

The two pegasi reached the significantly less crowded upper ring and went about forcing anypony they came across down to the bottom level, Hash in particular having no qualms with firing a few shots at the floor around their hooves. Butterfly, managed to at least make herself _look _intimidating, but with a voice as soft as hers, screaming out threats probably wasn't going to help her much. Her presence seemed to be getting it done well enough, though, and Hash was moving so quickly and effectively that Butterfly was starting to feel she needn't have bothered going up there to help in the first place.

Hash and Butterfly guided the upper level ponies down to the bottom level in a manner similar to herding cows. Anytime one of them went even a tiny bit astray, Hash was there to knock back in line with the butt of her rifle, as well as a threat of more grievous bodily harm if further attempts to get away were made. In their efforts to get the top level cleared as quickly as possible, however, the two pegasi failed to check one of the offices. This one in particular held a rather well-dressed, older stallion who looked like he'd fit in perfectly with Canterlot's elite. He remained well hidden behind his large, mahogany wood desk as Hash and Butterfly passed him. He waited a few moments, and when he was sure the coast was clear, he quickly and quietly slipped out of the office and made for the roof access stairs.

On the lower lever, OJ, Commodity and Candy were making a real show of frightening the customers, just like Daylight would want them to.

"NOPONY DO ANYTHIN' STUPID OR AH SWEAR AH'LL FEED YA YER OWN GUTS!"

"PONIES WHO FUCK WITH CANDY GET FUCKED RIGHT BACK! AND I WON'T BE GENTLE!"

"ALL OF YOU SHALL REMAIN ON THE FLOOR AND DO EXACTLY AS WE SAY, LEST THEY WISH TO RECIEVE AN ASSULT RIFLE SUPPOSITORY!"

The ponies from the upper level soon mixed in with the lower level crowd, and by that point everypony was pretty much where should be; cowering on the floor with their hooves fully visible. The screaming had subsided by this point, replaced only by loud sobbing and whimpering. Hash hoped to keep it that way. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR A FUCKING WORD OUT OF ANY OF YOU. NOT _ONE _FUCKING WORD. JUST STAY ON THE FLOOR AND KEEP YOUR TRAPS SHUT 'TILL WE TELL YOU WHAT TO DO NEXT!" The cyan pegasus roared in a tone that made her sound borderline insane.

There were a few nods of understanding from the crowd, while most just remained cowering and whimpering with fear. Somewhere in the thick crowd, a mare's voice cried out, "Just please don't kill us! Please!"

Candy fired a long burst into the ceiling, and the crowd screamed in terror. "SHE SAID NO... FUCKING... TALKING!" She screamed, and nopony dared to beg for mercy again.

Hash hovered her way over to OJ, who was finally starting to get used to balancing on her rear legs. "This everypony, OJ?" She asked. "You managed to get them all under control?"

"Pretty sure, Hash," OJ answered. "We made sure ta block the doors once you got things started."

"Nopony got through us, I'm certain," Commodity added confidently, her rifle hovering menacingly at her side.

"Um, girls?" Butterfly's soft voice sounded off, muffled slightly by her mask. Her friends all looked to her and saw that she was pointing at one of the teller windows. On the other side of it was a terrified looking young buck, vigorously messing with something under his desk. He apparently thought he was more well hidden than he really was.

The mares just exchanged glances for a moment before Hash finally sighed in frustration. "Fine, I'll get him," she groaned.

The terror of the crowd was more prevalent now as they realized what was about to happen next could be very ugly. Several mares hid their eyes and plugged their ears while some pulled their foals close.

Hash got to the window just stared down at the young buck for a moment. He was sweating profusely and muttering curses under his breath as he vigorously pressed at a small red button under his desk; the silent alarm, no doubt. The damn thing was supposed to glow as a sign that it had been activated, but it remained totally dark no matter how hard he pressed.

The buck was so preoccupied with the button that it took him nearly a minute to notice the armed pegasus hovering over him. He gasped when he saw her and quickly assumed the position of a hostage; on the floor with his hooves behind his head.

Hash made no move to subdue him. "Sup, bro?" She said casually, drawing an odd look from him. "Alarm not working? Tsk, that sucks."

"I-I'm sorry," the teller tried to say calmly. "I-I'll go quietly."

"You know what I think the problem is?" Hash asked in a light-hearted tone. "I don't think you were pushing it hard enough. How about I help you out with that?" She moved forward quickly and grabbed him with her fore hooves, her rifle set aside next to her.

"N-No! Please don't! I'll-" the teller stuttered out before Hash yanked his head under the desk and began brutally slamming it into the button repeatedly with every ounce of her strength.

"THERE! IS IT WORKING NOW?! HUH?! IS IT WORKING NOW, MOTHERFUCKER?!" Hash roared right in his ear.

The sobbing from the crowd became louder now. Though they couldn't see what was happening to him, the loud banging and sickening cracking sounds they were hearing created more than enough nightmarish imagination at what had to be going on behind that desk.

Hash kept it up for almost a full minute. The stallion pleaded and begged for her to stop, blood and teeth flying from his mouth, rendering him incoherent. Hash made sure to slam every last inch of his face into that button at least twice before she finally stopped. The minute she released him, he collapsed to the ground like he was a puppet whose strings were cut. His face was damaged beyond repair; both eyes swollen shut, cheeks puffed out and scarred all over, snout smashed in and jutting in awkward angles, blood oozing like mad from both nostrils, and a blood filled mouth that was almost completely toothless. All he could do was moan and breath raspily. He barely managed to get his head turned to the side to let the blood drain out of his mouth so he wouldn't choke on it.

It was the kind of damage that could be permanent without enough of an income to pay for some kind of facial reconstructive surgery, and Hash knew it. She had a feeling he knew it too. And in her momentary teeth grinding rage, she was proud of what she did. Served him right for trying to thwart their operation. So enraged she was at him for his stupid little attempted at "being a hero" that she wished with all her heart that every waking moment of his life from that moment onward would be full of nothing but the excruciating pain and misery he must've been feeling at that moment.

Hash looked down at him and smile sadistically through her mask. "Hoo boy, do I feel sorry for your wife!" She taunted. "Knowing she's gonna have to kiss _that _face from now on? Yeech! But then again, I guess there's nothing to stop her from leaving you if she wanted." Hash tweaked his gruesomely injured snout playfully a few times with her hoof, eliciting gasps of pain from him.

Eventually she viscously grabbed him under his fore legs and lifted herself about fifteen feet in the air. She held the wounded stallion out in front of her and pressed her masked face right up to his. She could practically smell the blood dripping from his orifices. She was _loving _this.

"I already hate you with a passion," she hissed quietly yet venomously. "So I suggest you not do one thing, not _one damn thing _other than breath for the rest of our time together. And I swear, if you do even the smallest, tiniest tyniest thing to annoy me again, I'll find out where you live, drag you to your home, and do the same fucking thing to your wife and kids and any other family you have that I did to you, and you get to just sit there and listen! Then you can be a whole family of freaks! You won't be so lonely anymore! Aren't I the sweetest little filly ya ever did meet?"

Without bothering to wait for a response, Hash dropped him from where she hovered. She watched with sadistic satisfaction as he landed hard backside down on the marble floor. He made no movement after that other than some twitching and shaking.

"He's not gonna move on his own! One of you girls get him over to the hostages!" Hash ordered.

OJ went over and slid him over to the cowering crowd of ponies. She was a little more gentle with him than Hash had been, but not so much so that she appeared to be the softie of the group to the hostages. She set him up so he was leaning against an older gentlecolt, who, along with his fellow hostages, stared at his disfigured face with an expression of pure horror.

"Keep 'im supported!" OJ snapped at the old stallion as she backed up.

"My word, Hash. What did you do to him?" Commodity asked in a tone that was either horror on intrigue.

"Gave him a makeover," Hash answered bluntly, her rifle in hoof once again. Commodity chose not to press for further information; she was sure she didn't want to know any more than that.

"So is this it?!" Candy shouted to her friends. "Is the building all secure whatnot?! No more stupid toopid wannabe heroes?!"

"Looks like it, sugarcube!" OJ shouted back to her. "Looks like the banks ours, Girls!"

"So now what?" Butterfly asked, trying to retain her horror at seeing what had become of the young teller.

"Now we just wait for Daylight to get down here and we can really get this party started!" Candy cheered.

As the group went about keeping their weapons trained on the terrified crowd, they failed to notice a door on the upper lever opening and closing softly...

* * *

The well dressed old stallion who had managed to evade the two pegasi attackers ascended the roof access stairs as fast as his old legs would manage. Cursing himself for not being the young buck he once was, he breathed and rasped heavily, his heart pounding wildly and aching fiercely.

"Why today?" He muttered to himself. "Why today of all days? Right before my vacation to the Bahaymas, which I had been planning for years! _Years! _The scum of Manehattan just have to go out of their way to ruin my life, don't they? Celestia bless this city!"

Truth be told, he had no idea what he was going to do once he got to the roof. There was no way down from there, and there was no way a pony his age was going to make any kind of jump to one of the other buildings next to the bank. All he could think of doing was calling down below to the passing civillians for help, and knowing what most ponies of this city were like, there was a good chance none of them would even give him a second look as they passed.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" He panted heavily as he continued upwards, his annoyance at the situation making him totally oblivious to the sound of somepony elses hoofsteps coming down to him. "And the weapons they were carrying? That's the kind of equipment you usually see in the claws of Griffon mercs or something! How the hay does firepower like _that _make it into Equestria? I thought Celestia had some new laws in the works about the firearms issue! When is she gonna get off her flank and-"

WHACK!

Right as he turned to ascend the next flight of stairs, the hard steel butt of an asssult rifle came smashing into his jaw from around the corner, knocking him straight to the ground. He tumbled down a few steps before managing to stop himself. He rubbed his bloody split lip with his hoof, his eyes watering with the stinging pain in his mouth. As laid there disoriented, an unfamilliar mares voice spoke up.

"I wouldn't count on Celestia getting off her flank to do _anything _these days... unless it's for a cake eating contest or something along those lines."

The old stallion wiped his eyes clear and gazed up ahead of him. A lavender mare wearing a black ski mask with a horn protruding through it stood imposingly a few steps above him, an assault rifle hovered next to her, aimed directly at his head, and a saddle bag at her flank.

"How did you..." The old buck stuttered. "There's no way onto the roof aside from this stair-well. How could you have gotten up there without-"

Daylight cocked her weapon once, and the imposing click was enough to shut him up. "Can't say I was expecting to run into anypony in here," she said casually. "Guess the girls didn't do as good a job rounding everypony up as I would've hoped. Gonna have to chew em' out about that, I guess, but for now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you back down; can't have anypony trying to escape, you know? We've waited too long for this."

Her calm tone annoyed the stallion greatly. He was willing to bet she had done this so many times it had become nothing more than a daily chore for her. _Wonder if she thinks those civilians down there feel the same way... sick cunt._

"Get up and start moving," Daylight ordered sternly, levitating her gun closer to him as an act of intimidation.

The stallion sighed slowly. "Alright, look," he began. "I'll do whatever you say, and I won't try anything stupid. This isn't the first robbery I've been involved in. I know the drill by now because I've just about seen it all. I've been President of this bank for forty-five years, and I-"

"Oh, you're the President?" Daylight interruppted. "Just the pony I was hoping to see! I've got a few questions for you, and if you value your life and the lives of all the others down there, you will answer me the first time I ask, and you answer me truthfully. If I have to repeat myself more than once, or if I think you're bullshitting me, I'll do some irrepirable damage to your face, arms, legs, and maybe even to little junior down there. If you were planning on passing this bank down to a son or something, you'll wish you'd concived before today. Not start moving... nice and slow... no stupid shit."

Slowly, the elder pony rose to his hooves and started down the stairs at a slow, shambling pace. Daylight stayed closely behind him, her rifle now hovering over him and aimed right at the back of his head. "Now," Daylight began. "The vault is downstairs from the main floor through some kind of security door, right?"

"H-how did you know where-"

"And that's strike one!" Daylight slammed the butt of her rifle into the back of his head, causing him to give a whimpering groan. "You make me repeat myself one more time, I'll force feed you your fucking eyeball! Now, am I right about where the vault is?"

"Y-yes," the stallion said. He couldn't hide his fear anymore. No matter how many robberies he'd been through, being threatened like this was never something he took easily. It didn't help that being forced eat his own eye was one of the more stomach churning threats he'd received. These punks were getting more and more sadistic every day...

"Now I'm guessing that security door won't just open if we go up to it and push?" Daylight continued.

_Of course not. You have to pull, you ugly bitch. _He had to really fight the urge to say that. "It's kept locked by an electronic keycode. The code is-"

"Hold up a minute," Daylight cut him off. "You said it's electronic. You realize we cut the power for the building right? Nothing electronic in this building is going to work."

"...True..." was all the stallion could say. _Didn't think that one through, did ya, whore slut?_

The two continued on downstairs in silence for a moment before Daylight finally spoke up again. "How big is the door?"

"The security door?"

"No, the door to Sapphire Shores' secret crack house... YES THE FUCKING SECURITY DOOR! WHAT ELSE?!" She slammed him on the back of the head again, this knocking him down. "One more 'duh' moment from you and Ill cut you in half with the edge og a bit!"

The Bank President shakily got up again and continued forward. "It's... um... I'd say about the size of any regular door," he answered, sounding close to breaking down. This mare was scaring him more than past robbers for some reason. Maybe it was because of how serious and calm she sounded. Most robbers sounded just as afraid, if not more afraid than the one's they were terrorizing, most likely due to the fear of getting caught. But this unicorn mare sounded so confident... even when she screamed at him.

"How thick is it?" Daylight asked.

"Um... uh... no thicker than your average door, I guess."

There was a brief pause. Then, "You're not bullshitting me, are you? 'Cause it sounds to me that for a door made to keep ponies out, it seems a little too shabby! Am I gonna have to start disemboweling you with a plastic spoon now?!"

"L-Look here, miss," The President whimpered. "That door isn't exactly the last line of defense. It's the vault that has all the heavy security measures. _The vault _is going to be your biggest challenge."

Daylight pondered that for a moment. "So... it shouldn't take more than a blast of magic from a unicorns horn to get through the security door?"

"Well you'd have to know some pretty powerful spells, but that does sound like a definite possibility."

"Alright then. That's one less thing for us to worry about," Daylight said cheerily. "So what about the vault? Anything we need to be worried about down there?"

The President actually managed a small laugh. "What? You mean aside from the fact that the vault door weighs at least twenty tons and can withstand a blast from Princess's Celestia and Luna's magic combined?"

"We already have the means to deal with that," Daylight said matter-of-factly. "I'm talking about what's _inside _the vault. Traps? Alarms? Poison gas? A troll that makes you answer a riddle before letting you pass?"

"With the power out like it is, there's nothing in there to hinder you." The Bank President sounded utterly defeated by that point.

"I hope for your sake, as well as the sake of everypony down there that you're telling the truth," Daylight threatened. "And if it turns out you're lying... actually, I won't even say what I'll do to you. It'll be a surprise!"

"You have my word. I... I promise."

The two didn't speak again until they reached the bottom of the stairs and reentered the main lobby. "Alright, that's all I needed to know," Daylight said. "Hard part's over for you. Let's get you down there with the others and we don't ever have to talk to each other again."

"Thank Celestia," The President mumbled bitterly.

"Here's a bit of a reality check for you, pal," Daylight hissed meanacingly. "Celestia doesn't give a flying fuck about you... or any of us for that matter. I learned that lesson the hard way."

Daylight guided the elder pony down to ground level, where her friends maintained an imposing perimeter around the hostages. It was Hash who first noticed the approaching ponies, and she immediately felt a twinge of embarrasment. "Uh, where'd ya find _him_, Daylight?" She asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Caught him trying to head up to the roof," Daylight answered, giving her hostage a rough nudge to the floor with her rifle. "Can't say I was expecting him."

"Uh, heh heh, I guess Butterfly and I must've missed him when we were clearing the upper level... heh heh... whoops."

"We-We're sorry, Daylight," Butterfly apologized.

"Well, as it turns out, I'm rather glad I bumped into him," Daylight said happily. "He filled me in on a few important details of this place, and I'm starting to feel a lot better about this whole thing. I really think we're gonna pull this off girls."

Even with their masks on, Daylight could tell that all her friends seemed visibly relieved at hearing this. Daylight looked over the cowering crowd of ponies before her. Aside from missing the old buck, they had done a very efficient job of getting everypony where they needed to be. On top of that, she had to admit they did look very frightening with their masks and weapons. They managed to nail the intimidation part of their jobs due to the look of them alone.

"So how'd it go up there, Daylight?" OJ asked. "No problems?"

"Nope, everything's going along smoothly," Daylight answered proudly. "In fact, I think we're moving a bit quicker than I originally anticipated. At a rough estimate, I'd say it's been about seven minutes."

"So that leaves us about twenty-three minutes to pull this off?" Candy asked as she joined the others.

"Good math, Candy," Daylight praised her friend. "And seeing as I already got enough info from the old coot right there, who just happened to be the Bank President, we may not have to bother with separating employees and customers anymore."

"Wonderful," Commodity said with a sigh. "The sooner I can get this damning mask off my lovely face, the better."

Daylight then turned her attention to their captives. It certainly was a much larger crowd than she had anticipated, and she figured her friends must've felt the same way when they first entered the building. OJ, Hash and Candy were going to have their work cut out for them keeping such a large crowd under control, but then again, Hash was fast, OJ was strong, and Candy was... something unheard of. She had full confidence in them.

"Alright, everypony face me now!" Daylight shouted at the crowd. She waited 'till all eyes were on her and her friends, then began a little speech she had been working in her mind for the past few days. This time, she spoke in a much calmer voice. "Good morning, everypony. I take it by now you all know what's going on here, so I won't waste your time explaining the situation." She began slowly pacing around them, making sure they all had a chance to see her. "We're here for the banks money, and nothing more. We're not here to take your lives, and we're not here to torture you; we just want to make off with some bits and you'll never have to deal with us again.

"But don't think for a second that just because we don't want to kill any of you doesn't mean we _won't _if it comes to that." There was some sobbing and whimpering emanating from the crowd. Daylight ignored it and continued. "Now listen carefully, because I will only go over this once...

"Rule number one: If any of you is heard talking or mumbling at any time during this robbery, one of you -we don't care who, it'll be completely random- gets a broken leg. Are we all clear on rule number one?" There was some nodding and murmured "yes"'s from the crowd.

"Rule number two: Everypony keeps their hooves where we can see them at all times. If at any time we notice one of you messing around in your bags or making any kind of movements that make us feel uneasy... both you and the pony next to you gets a bullet in every one of his or limbs. Got that?" The crying was becoming much more pronounced. Parents began hugging their foals close to them.

"And rule number three: If anypony... at any time... tries to be a hero... does anything to try and stop us... we kill... _all of you..._"

To punctuate that statement, Candy fired a long burst from her rifle into the ground close to the edge of the crowd, causing them all to scream and cry hysterically. Daylight thought about scolding Candy for that, seeing as these ponies were teriffied enough. But then again, she _did _tell them to go all out in making themselves seem psychotic. And judging by the horribly damaged face of one of the young bucks in the middle of the cowering crowd, they were taking her suggestion _very _seriously.

"Alright then," Daylight said when everypony seemed set to go. "Butterfly? Commodity? Follow me; I'm gonna take down the security door with my magic, then we'll head down to the vault."

"Right darling."

"Um, okay."

As the three took off, Hash, OJ and Candy began their duty of Crowd Control, circling the crowd with their weapons trained on them.

"Quiet time starts now, ya hear?!" OJ shouted at them.

"Don't you assholes fuck with us or we'll fuckin' kill you so slowly it'll feel like years have gone by before you're finally dead!" Hash spat, hovering over the hostages.

"We seriously don't care either! You all mean nothing to us! We're Insaaaaaaaaane!" Candy concluded dementedly.

Meanwhile, Daylight located the security door exactly where she expected it to be. "Commodity, those blueprints you got for us are already proving to be invaluable. We can't thank you enough for getting them. Whatever you had to do in that building, it was totally worth it."

Commodity just sighed and gave a nod. _I think there are two ponies who would very much disagree with you there, dear._

"So, it's just a keycode?" Butterfly asked as she examined the door. "I would've thought it would be something more complicated."

"Well, it's an older building; maybe they haven't gotten around to upgrading yet," Daylight said casually, lowering her M16 to the floor. "Not like it matters, though. The keypad's useless with the power out. Luckily Mr. President over there filled me in on what a flimsy piece of manure this thing is. Shouldn't take more than a couple of these..."

Without so much as a word of warning, Daylight sent a loud blast of magic right into the center of the metal door. There were some loud screams from behind her, as well as a forceful "Shut up!" from Hash. All it took was that one blast and the door was already severely dented at the center. Daylight sent two more blasts right in the same spot, and with a loud, clanging crash the door went flying off its hinges and tumbling down the stairs on the other side of it.

Daylight smiled proudly. "Not even ten minutes and we're already almost to the vault."

"I do hope nopony outside has heard this commotion," Commodity deadpanned.

"I sound-proofed the area before coming down," Daylight explained. "Do you really think I'd forget to take something like that into consideration?"

"Oh, why no, of course not. Is suppose I should've known you were smarter than that. I apologize," Commodity said, sounding sincere.

Daylight chose to just let it go and turned to the three working the crowd. "We're heading down now! You girls gonna be alright without us for a moment?"

"We've got this under control, Day! Nothing to worry about!" Hash shouted back to her.

"Great," Daylight said, levitating her rifle again. "We'll be back up once the charges are set. After the vault's open we'll have you three hand over your bags so we can fill 'em for you."

"Sounds sweet, sugarcube!" OJ said.

"Have fun!" Candy shouted awkwardly.

_Well, I guess they know who the "crazy" member of the group is now. _Daylight couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Thankfully her mask covered it. She started off down the stairs with her two friends flanking her. They only got a few steps down before realizing one of the major setbacks of cutting the power; it was pitch black in that room.

"Oh my. Daylight, I can't see a thing!" Butterfly whimpered. "I... I don't like this! It's too dark! I wanna go back!"

"Shh. It's okay, darling, we're right here with you," Commodity calmed her gently. "I have to agree though, it is quite impossible to make out anything down here, and these masks certainly aren't making it any easier."

Daylight sighed in annoyance, not at her friends, but at the situation. They were right; there was no way they'd get anything done like this. They were gonna have to try something a tad risky...

"Take your masks off, girls," Daylight commanded them as she lifted a hoof to her face and pulled off the most important part of keeping her from being identified.

"Wh-What?" Commodity sounded surprised. "Are you quite sure it's worth the risk?"

Butterfly, on the other hoof, was only too happy to comply, and quickly yanked her cover off with both fore hooves, carelessly letting her rifle fall a down a few steps. She was quick to hover over to it and scoop it up again before Daylight could scold her for being so careless with such a dangerous weapon.

"As long as we remember to put them back on when we come back up," Daylight explained. "There shouldn't be any reason to wear them down there. Besides, I'll need as much vision as possible when I'm handling the C4. You can make light with your horn, right, Commodity?"

"Yes, I can. That is a rather standard spell for unicorns, after all."

"Great, I'll need you by my side while I'm setting it, then. The more light, the better."

"I... very well, dear. I'll... I'll be with you." Commodity really did not want to be anywhere near those horrid explosives at any time. They fact that they had been sleeping in the same room as them for the past couple nights had almost been enough to keep her from getting any sleep at all. Even if Daylight had made it clear just how stable they were, they still frightened her greatly.

Once Daylight had her mask off, she felt a significant weight lift off her shoulders as it became not only easier to see, but easier to breath as well, which was very much a welcome feeling considering how strenuous this task was, both physically and mentally.

With the dull glowing from their horns due to the levitation spells providing at least a manageable source of light, the two unicorns and pegasus descended the stairs, which went on much longer than originally anticipated. When they finally reached the bottom, making sure to watch their steps over the destroyed security door lying in a crumpled heap, they stared in wide-eyed awe at the massive, solid steel, circular vault door before them. Even in the darkness, it was easy to make out just how daunting it was...

"Um, are you sure you have enough of that explosive stuff to get through?" Butterfly asked shakily.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Daylight said ominously. She let her saddlebags slide off her flank and opened one of them up. Hash had obviously made sure to grab as much as that C4 as she could; the girl definitely knew her shit when it came to this almost action movie style crime stuff, and for that Daylight would be eternally grateful. She turned to her two freinds. "Butterfly, watch our backs for us. You see anything at the top of the stairs that doesn't look like one of the girls, you shoot. Don't ask any questions. Just shoot. You don't have to aim to kill, as long as you scare them off you'll have done enough. Are you prepared to do that?"

"I... I guess..." Butterfly muttered.

That wasn't good enough. "Butterfly, dear," Commodity said sternly. "No more of this 'I guess' nonsense. We're all just as nervous and on edge as you are, but we're not going to let it get the best of us. We all have loved ones back home who are counting on us right now. For their sakes we must perservere no matter how ugly and barbaric this gets. We've all said and done things these past few days that we will regret for the rest of our lives, but if this succeeds, and all those who are counting on us go on to benefit from our actions..." she paused and gave a shuddering exhale, "then, at least for me personally... I will learn to live with myself for everything I've done. In the end... I will consider it a neccessary evil. And we all must think like that if we ever hope to move on..."

Butterfly listened intently to her friend the whole time, and for the first time since she had been the third one to agree to go through with this, she finally believed with all her heart and soul that this truly was neccessary. All it took were the inspiring words of her closest friend to help her finally see that.

Even in the darkness, the two unicorns could see the renewed confidence in Butterfly's features. It was the kind of look of determination that genuinely made them feel safer whenever the group had gone on many of their past quests. They really wished they had told her more often how much they valued her bravery.

Butterfly lifted her rifle proudly and gave it a powerful 'ch-chink!' "I'll defend you both with my life."

With warm smiles, the two unicorns gave their friend a quick but meaningful nuzzle. "Kick ass, darling!" Commodity whispered in her ear as she pulled away.

As the yellow pegasus turned away to due her job, Daylight looked to Commodity and gave her a confident nod. "Let's go to work..."

* * *

_**I'll start by saying I decided to split the robbery into two parts. First, because like with many of the chapters, it's turned out much longer than anticipated. Had it been one chapter, this thing would probably be close to 20,000 words... feels like a little too much to read in one sitting.**_

_**Second, this chapter took me forever to write due to school work keeping me busy as well as personal issues, and I really don't like keeping you guys waiting for so long, especially after a cliffhanger. **_

_**Anyway, I won't take so long with the next part, though I feel I should warn you the next couple chapters are gonna be cliffhanger after cliffhanger. Hopefully you won't hold me responsible for any stress related health issues you might suffer at the end of the next few chapters.**_

_**Thanks for reading! More soon!**_

_**By the way, can you believe it's almost been a year since I started writing this? I heard it took Kkat something like 8 or 9 months to write **__**Fallout Equestria**__**, and that thing is like 600,000 words! Seriously, she must be a machine or something... **_

_**UPDATE: Part two is coming soon. Two things slowed me down: a rewrite and personal issues. I'm just not able to work on this as often as I want to, so updates may be pretty far in between from now on. It's gonna get done, I promise you that. I just hope you have other stories to keep you occupied until the next chapter comes up. **_

_**Sorry for the wait and thanks for your patience. **_


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